The Sound of a Thousand Robins Singing

Above Us Only Sky

The sound of a thousand robins singing draws me in. They greet the dawn with gusto and bring a wild energy to the landscape. They are a tour de force of bird life. They arrived last night from the north and are roosting in a group of large cottonwoods and silver maples along the creek. The roost has concentrated their presence; they are an intensity of robins. They chase each other through the canopy, singing and calling in the early morning before gradually dispersing throughout the park. I walk up to the creek, become still, close my eyes, and listen. There are layers of sound. The cottonwoods provide the wind section. The creek resounds with tinkling bells riffling through stones. The robins fill the air with song, call notes, and aerial chases. Human voices join the chorus, laughing and calling out to their dogs.

I settle in and imagine a thousand people emerging from their apartment buildings, houses, and the park to stand under the robins and lend their voices to the dawn chorus. A beautiful song emerges with human voices joining the robins, cottonwoods, and creek as the sun rises over the eastern horizon. All are bathed in soft light and held in a moment of harmony.

When I open my eyes, I think of people in the park differently. The burly man with his off-leash pit bulls seems less threatening. He has the same light in his eyes as the robins. For all I know, he may be an extraordinary birder.

I glance back at the creek and notice robins bathing in the riffle, and I decide to return in the afternoon to sit and observe.

The late afternoon sunlight slips under the trees and illuminates the creek's surface. I slowly amble down to the creek and sit next to a tree. Robins flush out of the creek at my approach, and for the next 30 minutes, I observe the gradual process of them returning.

There are also mallards in the creek this time of year, and I notice a drake floating down the creek toward me. I am partially hidden behind a tree, so he gets within 15 yards of me before he notices my shape, pulls up, and starts turning and swimming side to side while staring at me. Then he turns and goes upstream, and I think, “He does not want to pass by me.” Just then, he turns and starts to come back. He stops, pauses, and then lets himself slide into the riffle, and the current carries him to me. He is committed now, and he floats by about 4 feet away from me down the middle of the creek. He keeps a watchful eye on me the entire time.

I think the robins take that as an all-clear signal, and they start to move lower in the trees. They begin to perch above me and look at me, and then more robins come down. I can tell that they want to get to the creek, so I sit as still as I can. Robins zip past me with a subtle whoosh, and I become enveloped in their energy.

The robins are deciding whether to commit to bathing in this riffle. As I settle into the stillness, beauty descends from the branches. I am now surrounded by sparkling eyes, glistening beads of water, and a flock of wild energy. The soft light and yellow and orange reflections in the dark water are sublime. Stillness is the key, the superpower, the way to manifest the beauty that is all around. When you become still, you become beautiful.

Beauty is inviting. I naturally soften my gaze and body language. The birds pick up on this, and we become at ease with each other's presence.

The robins are doubly bathed in the light of the setting sun. This is nature's studio lighting. The diffuse light illuminates the robins from above and below as it reflects off the water's surface. Over time, they become increasingly comfortable with me, and I have the distinct impression of coming into their presence. Time fades as light enters my consciousness. There is a beautiful moment where you merge with the wider world; you become fully present. It is deeply healing. I exist within an alternate dimension. Just me, the robins, and the mallards with the fall-colored water sliding over the rocks.

I notice that the robins have a personal bubble that stretches about a foot; as they pack into the riffle together, they tend to maintain that spacing. If another robin comes closer than a foot, the other robin leans forward, opens its bill wide, spreads its wings, and holds its ground. Once the tension subsides, the robins stare at each other for a few seconds and then return to bathing.

I also notice how each bird has distinct plumage and a different approach to bathing. Some jump right in and create an explosion of water. Others are more tentative, and they start quivering their wings in anticipation. Then, they slowly dip their head in the water and gradually work up to the full body experience. All the while, they are scanning their surroundings and watching other robins, me, and checking for predators.

This goes on for 30 minutes. Then, the light begins to fade, and the robins gradually rise up into the canopy above the creek. The show is over.

I walk up the bank and encounter a familiar concrete vista. Cars, trucks, dogs, and people scurry about the parking lot. Subtle emanations of stress and fear crowd the margins of my consciousness, but I now carry an ember of serenity filled with the light of the setting sun and the sparkle in a robin's eye that holds me in stillness. I realize that the scene before me is part of life, too, with its beautiful imperfections. Nothing is wrong with us at our core. We are all okay. We are all singing one song.

“Imagine there's no heaven

It's easy if you try

No hell below us

Above us only sky

Imagine all the people living for today

Imagine there's no countries

It isn't hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion too

Imagine all the people living life in peace, you

You may say I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope some day you'll join us

And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions

I wonder if you can

No need for greed or hunger

A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people sharing all the world, 

You may say I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope some day you'll join us

And the world will be as one” 

Imagine, John Lennon

Resources

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle is a profound book full of spiritual insights that can bring more peace and ease into your life.