The Summer Sounds of the Sweet Tweet Tweet

It is nearly mid July, the middle of our so called “summer.” Grey is the colour trending or skyline this summer. The tone of grey varies from a white/light grey to a more intense charcoal colour with some speckles of blue, white and occasionally pink in the morning or the night (warning/delight!). I wish I was describing a dress I saw in Zara, because it sounds quite wearable but this skyline quite simply wears you down! Nevertheless, I will not allow the lack of summer sunshine rain on my parade. I pledge to complain no further about the weather and to look for the positives in our Irish summer. For instance, it was bright until 22.30pm last night!

There may be fewer birds tweet tweeting this summer. We must forgive the birds for taking the initiative to seek finer weather. What has replaced the sweet tweet tweets of the cuckoo and the martins that used to visit us from South Africa in the summer season is the sound of a Tweet update on our smart phones. There are comparisons between bird watching and Twitter one must acknowledge.

According to the Oxford Dictionary Bird watching is: the practice of observing birds in their natural environment as a hobby. Dunne describes bird watching in the book Pete Dunne on Bird Watching as being the observation of  birds as a recreational activity. He continues by explaining that It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Bird watching often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are more easily detected and identified by ear than by eye.

Hmmm…this sounds exactly like the act of Tweeting. We follow/watch/monitor every move of the Tweeter/the Bird as a recreational activity. The smart phone replaces the binoculars and telescopes used by the traditonal bird watcher. This one piece of equipment can do the work of both the binoculars and the telescope. Twitter allows us to analyse and scutinise the Tweets of the birds we are watching. The Tweeter invites us into their nest and allows us to classify ourselves as a member of their bird family. Does this seem like a natural act? Bird watchers study the species to monitor their migration trends and their role in nature. Need we do the same with the likes of Katy Perry who has nearly 23 million followers! 23 million! Imagine if 23 million of us followed one poor little Blue Tit around the world! The bird would have more sense than to let so many people jump into its nest!

Now, it may seem that I have assumed a position of snubbing Twitter, but alas, I find myself, like all recreational bird watchers, becoming intrigued by the hobby. How does one find a balance within this apparent paradox? Maybe I should practice the traditional method of bird watching and Tweet when I see a rare classified bird…..I kid you not when I tell you that a beautiful orange breasted chaffinch just flew up to the window. Perhaps that is enough of a sign to not “practice what you preach” but quite simply “practice and Tweet!”