Wednesday 02 December
I have been catching some time outdoors the past couple of days. Only doing gate duty and such, but it’s precious. Time to get a fresh blast of cold air on my face and even some sunlight on my eyes. Some days are grey and don’t properly start, others prickle the senses with intense sunlight and chilly winds.
Whilst standing in the car park, welcoming the students, I watched a number of birds, one at a time, flying solo overhead. Just this weekend, I was watching a flock of pigeons circling trees and rooftops by the sea in Walton. And before that, there have been the gathering gangs of crows and rooks, speckling the bare, black branches of the oak and horse chestnut trees near me.
I wonder what these lone fliers are doing? Where they are going? And why? Why alone? One of my favourite books as a child was Jonathan Livingstone Seagull. In that book Jonathan Gull, would spend hours, days and weeks practicing his flying skills and speed. But even his life came to an abrupt end and embarked on a lone journey of enlightenment.
One of the most common reasons a bird will fly alone is that it is sick, or old. As sad as it sounds, many animals take themselves away from the pack when they are injured, diseased or sensing their time is up. Birds are no different. The group they are part of will also not hold back from ushering them on their way, and these behaviours have been observed.
A sick or dying bird is going to attract predators. So it makes sense to remove this risk to the group by removing the potential tisk-trigger. Alongside this, gulls included, are quite solitary in their way. They prefer to take themselves off to try and recover or die alone.
As unlikely as I know it is, I love the notion of the self-aware full. One that recognises when their time is up and quietly slips off alone. Even checking the risk-assessment beforehand.
Of course, there could be a number of other reasons for the solo flight, but I am fascinated by this one. It’s a beautiful thought. That gulls are that self-aware and considerate of its community’s needs.
The next time I look up and see a lone bird flying above me I will tip my cap and wish them bon voyage. Safe journey to wherever they are going.
In England today there were a further 11,000+ diagnosed cases of Covid19 and another 531 deaths in the past 24 hours. But, the first vaccine has passed its UK regulatory checks and will start to be issued next week.
The Bald Birder 