鳥人相遇 (When a bird meets a human being)

今午近黃昏時，我坐在大學校園的安靜的湖畔, 坐在兩棵水松間的長椅上做靜觀祈祷。

      週遭本有些鳥語，正合閉目静思的環境，不久，卻聽到近處冒起一陣密集的鳥叫，叫得越來越起勁，好像發生了什麽事情似的，我最終都忍不住張開眼睛，發現原來長椅旁，我腳下的近處，有一隻黑領椋鳥，正抬起頭望著我，張大鳥喙，使勁地向木坐的我「喊話」，好像要喊到我回應才罷休，牠分分明明是很有意識地從草地上近距仰視坐在椅上的我，並且很有目的似地使勁張大鳥喙鳴叫，好像很熱切地告訴我一些事情。

      我難以置信地看著這小生靈，忍不住陋習，掏了手機出來想錄影牠，也許連串細碎的動作反而驚擾了牠，牠跳飛回我頭頂的水松樹梢上，继續喊話。

       我猜想，可能在静觀時，見到我這尊穿著天蓝色風衣紋風不動的身影，讓這黑領掠鳥以為我是一隻牠前所未見的人類以外的奇形生物，故好奇地試用叫聲试探我可有反應，結果，牠失望了，我原來都只不過是一個牠常見的人類。

      我真有點後悔，為何不仔細觀察或仿鳥語與牠談話，反而掏出手機來浪費了這寶貴的鳥人溝通機會。但是，我對於能成為這隻小鳥的好奇對象而感榮幸，因為牠視我為大自然的一部份。

     至今我仍然驚異著這小生命的強大意識。正如Dr. Jane Goodall 曾說: 人類並非大地上唯一擁有智慧，思想與情感的生物。

More than a Bird

     This afternoon I sat on the bench between the two pines on the lake's shore on the university campus, practising contemplating prayer. 

     Birds were chirping, and the fountain in the middle of the lake was singing. I enjoyed the serenity so much that I fell into a deep silence quickly. 

     Sooner there was an intensive bird chirping sound emerged very close to me. The chirping sound was intensified as if something had happened. It eventually aroused my attention. I opened my eyes and found that a little Gracupica Nigricollis was staying near the bench. It looked up at me, with its beak wide open, chirping vigorously at me as if it would not stop until I responded. 

     I look at this fantastic little creature incredulously. I couldn't resist my bad habit of taking out my mobile phone to record it. I guessed that my motionless figure in the sky blue trench coat had made this bird think that I was a strange creature other than human that it had never seen before. Hence, it was curious and tried to test my response with its call. 

     This little thing was disappointing because I am just a human being that it always comes across on the campus. I was nothing special to it. 

    I should have to talk to it instead of taking out my cell phone. I've missed such an excellent opportunity to interact with a bird. However, I am honoured to be an object of this little bird's curiosity as it sees me a part of nature. 

    I am still amazed by this little bird with such great consciousness. As Dr Jane Goodall said: "Human being is not the only creatures with wisdom, thoughts and emotion.