Heron Wisdom

      We have an interesting bird in this part of the country.  It is called the Great Blue Heron.  For me, it is always a treat to see one flying.  In fact, I enjoy seeing one poised motionless in a stream or pond.  They are large birds and very easy for the casual observer to spot.  Often they can be seen flying just above treetop level.  Herons flying have their feet straight back in a most streamlined position.  Their necks make an “s” shape bringing heads closer to bodies.  It appears as if this neck and head position is also more aerodynamic.

     Once, while bicycle riding with a friend, a heron took off from the drainage ditch below the road level, and flew across our path.  We were both surprised as this huge bird began to rise just in front and to our right.  The wing span appeared about the width of the road as it flew before us, just a few yards away.  This bird easily exceeded our speed and flew swiftly away.  I suspect it seemed larger than it was, but it was delightful to behold such a spectacle.

     One windy day, about mid-morning, I watched another peculiar flight.  There was a heron, already higher than I normally saw them, when I spotted it.  As I continued to look, it became obvious that the big bird was making large circles in the sky.  Closer observation revealed there was a gain in altitude as each circle was completed.  Then I noticed there was a steady wind from the west, and each time the heron swung its path into the wind it climbed higher.  For several minutes this circular maneuver was executed until the heron had attained a considerable altitude.  Then, as effortlessly as a feather floating in the breeze, this great bird stopped flapping its wings and began a glide into the westward wind.  As I contemplated what I had witnessed it occurred to me that it was a great energy saving strategy.  Rather than fight the wind continuously, the heron had used it in an alternating work / rest cycle to gain altitude, and then coast for an extended period.  My heron was out of sight in the western sky before it had lost enough altitude to need flapping wings.

     On several occasions, since seeing the climbing / gliding maneuver, I have watched herons flying into the wind at the end of the day.  I wonder if they know which way the prevailing winds are from.  Are they using their strength, gained by feeding through the day, to position their bodies where wind can provide energy for movement to alternate feeding places the next day?  I have seen this behavior enough times to believe herons are that smart, or that instinctive.

     An analogy, I can see, would be to use these techniques when faced with problems in our lives.  We could expend energy against the troubling situation in intermittent bursts.  First, we can try to solve the problem to the best of our ability.  Secondly, our problem solving efforts could be interrupted to analyze what has been accomplished and briefly rest from the strains.  This process can be repeated until we have enough understanding to glide into the problematic situation knowing our previous efforts have taught us how to deal with the situation. 

   When we are strong, we can position ourselves where we will be assisted in moving between future nourishing places, which help us grow, by the very things that hinder growth.   Problems can push us to solutions.