Flap, flitter and flutter

Friends,

My sixteen year old grandson is a committed fledgling birder-photographer who visited us last week. He was seldom without at least one camera draped around his neck or in his hand, and he was in constant search for yet another bird photo op. Fortunately there was a varied and fascinating array of flapping, flitting, and fluttering here on Whidbey to keep him in successful pursuit. 

The Eaglet Flapper
For several years we have been aware of an eagle’s next about a hundred yards away from our back deck, but it was well hidden in the branches of a spruce tree. Although we were well aware of eaglets in the nest because we could listen to their pleas for food, often beginning at four in the morning. But we only occasionally got a rare peek at the resident eaglet, and even then we never really got a good look. However, a wind storm this spring opened up sight access to the nest, and my grandson was delighted with the opportunity to capture a number of good photos. Perhaps the rarest of his photos occurred when he was able to catch the very moment the fledgling was receiving his dinner from the beak of his parent. My grandson had noticed that when the parent eagle arrived back to the nest it was presumably bringing food. This allowed him to focus in on the nest and wait for the transfer of food from the parent. It was such a privilege to watch. So score one particularly memorable shot for my grandson..

But then the last couple of days the same actually well-matured eaglet was outside the nest and flapping his/her already enormous wings (technically called “branching”) as it was preparing to take the daring dive to fly on its own. We could just imagine the parents back in the nest urging the youngster to go out there and practice. “I know it’s scary, baby, but you gotta do it. Now go out there are flap/branch for at least half an hour.” And flap it did. My grandson got amazing single photos and videos of the eaglet’s enormous wings flapping a bit more, carefully lifting a bit more, and then seeing it hopping along a branch back to its nest. It would be a thrill to see the eaglet's maiden flight as it would, indeed, be a dramatic, anxious act of courage and a significant rite of passage for the eaglet - and I can imagine for its parents as well!

The Hummingbird Flitter
And then there is the utterly amazing hummingbirds flitting from plant to plant to suck up what must be a tiniest drop of nectar. We plant a couple of pots of salvia flowers on the deck because they are the hummers favorite source of nectar. One after another they seem to test each little blossom multiple times going quickly up and down the stems, forward and backward, with seemingly tireless persistence. My grandson’s prize photo was a hummer taking a shower in our small solar powered fountain in our birdbath. It loved to go in and out of the little fountain a dozen times in a row, cooling its body and perhaps taking a drink. Obviously, a hummer shower made a terrific source of still and video pictures.

The Baby Bird Flutter
And because we were watching the birds at our feeders so carefully, we were always charmed and delighted to observe the varieties of parents feeding their little fledgling babies (“babies” that often seemed as big as the parents.) The little fledglings would do the cutest flutter with their little fluffed up feathers begging their parents to transfer another morsel of grain from beak to beak. When we watched carefully, however, we noticed that the parent was also encouraging the fledgling to get food on its own by discreetly ducking out of sight momentarily on the other side of the feeder and waiting for the fledgling to also peck away on its own. The fledglings would flutter anxiously as long as they could until the parent would fly away and the fledgling would follow.  We noticed this behavior was true for at least a couple of species, and we never tired of the food-flutter that seemed to express a similar urgent demand to be fed by most species, including our own babies, of course.

Given that my photographer grandson is one of our three teenage grandchildren who are also preparing to “fledge” away from their home nest soon.we are well aware that “fledging" transitions are rites of passage that include a combination of both anxiety and excitement for both the youngsters and their parents. This is true whether we are preparing to move up a grade in school, taking our first job, committing to a relationship, settling into a new living quarter, or, in our case as elders, “branching” our way along as we decide on next steps if we are to leave our current home. Like all transitions they need to include preparatory flapping, maybe some flitting and fluttering about final decisions, and so it goes throughout our various transitional periods in life. And sometimes, like the eaglet standing apprehensively on the edge of the nest, we are understandably reticent to make the plunge if we do not feel yet ready to fly, as imperative as it may be. So we always need a lot of support and nudging to make sure we take that ultimate fledgling “leap.” And when that time comes, may we fly safe and land well.

Peace and blessing,
Tom

P.S. - I would have been delighted to have shared my grandson’s photos along with this blog, but I can’t do that this evening. I may be able to do so if I edit this piece in the future. In the meantime, you can imagine seeing what I am attempting to describe, or it will remind you of your own experiences watching birds. In any case, I would encourage you to take the time to observe and try to imagine the incredible miracle embodied in each and every one of of the fellow creatures we call birds if you are not already doing so. Truly each of them is a miracle of creation.