Sometimes when you least expect it, life answers a
question and shares a lesson. Over the years, we’ve noticed that in our part of
the world, there often seems to be a game of tag going on between a big crow
and a much smaller bird. Thinking along the lines of playful fun, we’ve often
wondered what was going on. The two almost seem to be enjoying the flight, but
we fully recognize that fun is probably not the explanation for the event. This
week, the answer became quite clear in a startling and educational way. Please
keep in mind that your newsletter editors are 1) a city boy and 2) a beach bum.
The city boy grew up without much exposure to the comings and goings of
critters in the wild, although pigeons and squirrels technically count. The
beach bum grew up among all types of marsh animals from toads to turtles to
shellfish and sea birds of many varieties. But certain things were missing. For
example, when I (Deb) arrived at college, I was astounded to discover that
squirrels could cross the street on the electrical wires! My classmates must
have thought something was wrong with me, but the ecosystem on my barrier
island didn’t allow for enough trees to accommodate a thriving squirrel
population, so this little trick was new and quite fascinating to me.
The sight of a big bird being chased all over the sky by a
little one, was also intriguing. Life experience suggested that this had
something to do with survival, and this week that hypothesis was confirmed. Out
early in the morning to walk the dog, I saw a tiny little bird chasing a huge
crow. The crow landed on top of the utility pole just in front of us. The small
bird continued to circle. That’s just about when the crow dropped the fledgling
bird it had been carrying onto the top of the pole and gave it a peck or two.
Suddenly, a gang of about six to ten little birds came into view, flying
straight at the crow. They distracted the crow just long enough to let the
fledgling fly (sort of) off the pole. It more or less swooped into a neighboring
tree, and as it landed among the branches the little birds all stopped their
attack and flew to the baby. Presumably the mother bird was the first to get
there. The crow flew off without breakfast, and one can only guess the fate of
the slightly pecked at baby bird.
We’ve lived long enough to know that nature can be harsh
and unkind, especially to the very young and the very old. In a storybook
world, the crow and the baby bird could be friends, but that’s just in stories.
The crow was hungry. The fledgling bird was an easy breakfast, and nature does
what nature’s going to do. There is no prognosis possible for a slightly pecked
fledgling. For all we know it was injured beyond the possibility of recovery.
Maybe the other birds of its community would have been kinder to just let the
crow finish what it started as quickly as possible. These are questions we can
only ask, but never answer. Still to see the fight for survival unfold so
unexpectedly and so close up was startling nonetheless.
But,
this little encounter also illustrates what we humans often tend to forget.
When communities come together, there is a greater chance for our young to grow
up healthy and the elderly to be well cared for. Whether that sense of
community comes from a family, a neighborhood, a faith community, or a
professional association, it turns out we humans aren’t that much different
from our friends in the animal world. The more we stick together, the better
off we are and the more likely we are to feel protected and safe when the
predators appear. At least, that’s the way it looks from where we sit.
