During spring we would wake to a chorus of singing birds. As a matter of fact they were like an alarm clock as immediately we knew that it was just after 5 a.m.

A wide variety of birds have graced us up here in the hills of Boyne Park – our national bird The Jamaican streamer tail hummingbird, saffon finch, mango hummingbird, bananaquit, striped-headed tanager, Jamaican tody, Jamaican white-chinned thrush, olive-throated parakeet, Jamaican pecard, Jamaican woodpecker among others. In the case of the woodpecker we would know when this bird was around even if we did not see it as we would hear its long, strong beak chipping away at a coconut tree.

Many persons will agree that birds are among the most beautiful of creatures. Artists and photographers delight in capturing them in all their glory.

The walls of several rooms in my home carry calendars with beautiful birds from around the world as friends send them to me every year. When these calendars come to an end I always use the pictures to decorate my room.

An interest in birds led Janine and I to write articles about them for local and foreign publications. About 10 years ago we also started a collection of bird figurines. I can never forget that it was the cutest little yellow bird figurines that our mom bought for us which launched our collection.

First we placed these birds on the shelves in our room. In a short while our collection grew so quickly that we had to decide where would they all hold. Finally a decision was taken to get a display unit made. For sure such a wonderful collection of 400 birds now takes takes pride of place in our living-room.

These figurines have come from near and far – Jamaica, Barbados, France, Germany, England, U.S.A., Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, China, Sweden, Hong Kong and Japan. I may never have the opportunity to see these birds in real life in their habitat. However I am thrilled to have figurines of the toucan, rainbow lorikeet, macaw, emu, kiwi, greater flamingo, blue tit, cardinal, blue jay, pheasant, mute swan, American robin, kingfisher and kookaburra in my huge collection.

I thank the many relatives, friends and pen-pals who played such an important role in helping us build this collection. Little did they know that they were helping me to have this as a memorial to the shared love that my twin and I had for our feathered friends.

On Thursday, October 16, 2008 my identical twin sister Janine died. I will treasure this collection to my dying day.