Showing posts with label sea birds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sea birds. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

GULL: Judging by Appearances

Most people encounter Gulls at beaches, usually when Gulls are scavenging for food or resting on boat docks. Some people watch Gulls drop Clams on hard rocks or on parking lots to open up the Clams. As opportunists, Gulls exploit whatever They can use, wherever They find it.

A readily recognizable group of Birds, Gulls have solidly built web-footed legs for running and swimming. With their long wings, Gulls can easily hunt over large areas of water. Most people can identify these white, grey, and black Birds, although names of particular species elude them.

Gulls live in colonies of many Birds. Usually nesting on rocky cliffs, tens of thousands of Gulls share a breeding territory with other Birds such as Pelicans, Herons, and Terns. Somehow in all the confusion of all these Birds, individual Gulls find each other and work things out.

In Salt Lake City, Utah (USA), a monument to California Gull sits in front of the State Capitol Building. Shortly after the Mormons settled the area, millions of Crickets began to devour their crops. But then thousands of California Gulls came and ate their fill of Crickets. In gratitude for saving their lives, the Mormons decided to honor California Gull.

Another Gull story involved a trainer of the Cleveland Indians Baseball team. While the beloved trainer was near death, a lone Sea Gull stayed near the dugout. After he died, the Gull remained to comfort the ball players, then left. These two Gull stories reflect how Gulls can be spiritual messengers.

Most people see Gulls as messy, noisy, and aggressive Birds. But imagine what the beaches would look like if you had no Sea Gulls – a silent beach covered with garbage. Gulls have a place in this world that people need to accept.

Gulls teach that appearances can be deceiving. Most people regard these noisy, troublesome Birds as pests. No man sees the services that Gulls provide, for example, eating garbage and cleaning up beaches. Gull teaches to judge by actions.
Glacous Gulls in flight

Friday, November 13, 2009

Loon (Diver): Unexplored Places



Loon’s primal call beckons us to wander deeper into our trackless wilderness. Hauntingly, her cries expose the lonely places of our hearts. Sending shivers down our backs, her mournful wails disturb our serenity. Suddenly breaking into our reverie, Loon fills the skies with her insane laughing.

Irrespective of how we may feel about Loon, She does have an important place in the universe. According to the Norse, a flock of Loons calling overhead are following souls into heaven. The Siberians believe that Loon escorted souls to the heavens. However to the Abenaki of North America, Loon mourns for the return of Glooskap who left them when the White Man came.

Unlike many other Birds, Loon has heavy bones. Similar to Penguins, She can swiftly sink into the water without any problems. By squeezing air from her feathers and wings, Loon easily dives deeper into the water. To hunt for fish, She holds her head just under the surface, avoiding the water’s glare. Her ability to dive quickly earned Loon, her other name of “Diver”. So well adapted is Loon to the water that her Chicks can dive when They are only two days old. Afterwards, They spread their nights on their Parents’ backs.

Let Loon be your guide to the between times. When we are hopelessly confused, She calls to us to climb on her strong back. Loon takes us through our unexplored places of loneliness to serenity. But do not get so lost by yourself that all you hear is her cackling laughter.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Lessons of the Cormorant Family


CORMORANT AND SHAG FAMILY: Living Disorganized Lives

With their powerful feet, Cormorants quickly propel Themselves through the water. Because their feathers are not waterproof, They can easily sink down into the water. However, when Cormorants emerge from the water, They have to remain on the shore to dry their wings.

Using seaweed, sticks, and flotsam, Cormorants build sloppy nests. (More often than not, their nests turn into rotting heaps.) Because of their general messiness, Cormorant colonies are islands of guano. Besides mining their rich droppings, fertilizer companies build platforms for these Birds to roost and breed on.

Another thing, Cormorants are known for is their superb fishing skills. After scooping Fish up with their throat pouch, They position the fish in their throat before swallowing. In China and Japan, fishermen will use these Birds to fish for them. Placing a ring over Cormorant’s neck, the fisherman would ensure that Cormorant could not swallow the Fish. When Cormorant caught a Fish, they would remove the Fish from the Bird’s throat.

Within Cormorant Family, there are two unique Birds. Beside Penguins, Flightless Cormorant is the only other flightless Sea Bird. One of the most primitive of Birds, Shag has an unusually large clutch of very small eggs.

Since They live messy lives, Cormorants often end up having others take advantage of them. Being disorganized, They have little understanding of how others profit from their activities. Cormorants show that having a chaotic life can make you subject to being used by someone else.

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Virginia Carper, Animal Teachers
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