On my way back to work from a lunch-time errand yesterday, I decided to take the metro to a station in the vicinity of my hospital. I finished my errand and walked to the Majorstuen metro station and sat down on one of the benches to wait for the train. Within a few minutes there were five sparrows that landed at my feet, all of them waiting for a handout in the form of a few breadcrumbs or cookie crumbs. I had to laugh, as did the women sitting next to me on my right. I’ve seen the sparrows hop around on the ground and even up on outdoor restaurant tables in their search for crumbs. What made this occasion unusual was the manner in which they approached me and the woman sitting next to me on my left (who was eating a raisin bun). They were totally unafraid, and it was as though they had communicated beforehand how they were going to beg for food. So there they were, at my feet and at hers, five of them, looking up at us as if to say, here we are and we would like some food please. They were chirping happily among themselves all the while they were standing in front of us. I am not sure why they landed in front of me, but I assume they figured the new person might have some food. My bench neighbor did not want to share her bun with them. I on the other hand would have done so had I had some food with me. As it was, I had no time to go and buy a bit of food because my train arrived within five minutes of my sitting down. It struck me how tame the birds have become, and it was a nice reminder of the small sweet things in life that make you smile if you are paying attention. When it comes to the birds, I am always attentive to what they are doing. They are amazing little creatures.
