We have a home office and when the weather is nice, I love to sit on the patio in the backyard for a few moments after lunch with my tea, catch some rays and listen to the birds.
This year a family of ravens moved in about a block away. 
Their caw is deeper and throatier than the crows who live about a block in the opposite direction.
The crows are definitely not impressed about the ravens barging into their neighbourhood and we are often treated to all kinds of caws – high, low, whiny, insistent, aggressive, rapid, slow and loud.
This afternoon, four ravens were flying circles around our house with about half a dozen crows chasing them. All this with quite a ruckus.
Then the flicker, who lives somewhere on our block, also decided to join in on the noise with its repetitive chirps. So did the robin who lives in a tree a few houses up the street.
The sparrows were quite happily chirping away in the bushes in our back yard, lining up and taking turns in the bird bath.
And there are usually gulls flying high overhead on their way to the dump for some fruitful foraging.
Quite an entertaining time while I enjoyed my tea.
Ok. So what does this have to do with sound or wellness?
For those people who live in an urban area – we live in a very noisy environment. Evidence from many recent studies shows how noise contributes to significant stress response in humans – actually also animals.
The bigger problem in all of this is that most people are totally unaware of how noisy their environment actually is.
Awareness is the first step to being able to understand the incredible effect any sound around you actually has on you. And to making changes in the sounds in your environment that support you.
Birdsong is one of the healthiest sounds the human being can listen to. Yes – even the raucous call of the crow or raven.
Becoming more aware of the sounds of the birds around you is a fabulous way to do a mindfulness meditation.
I do this every time I go for a walk. Listening to the types of sounds, seeing if I can recognize what kind of bird it is, the direction the birdsong is coming from, the kind of sound (that is high, low, loud, soft, sweet or raucous…) is fun and engaging. And I arrive back at home with my mind refreshed and focused.