Migrating birds - Essay.

About twenty years ago, we had an essay competition. The topic was "Migrating birds". Some bizzare unexpected topic. Yet I have read an article on birds just the day before out of curiosity. I can still remember I was smiling when I knew the topic, as this was very easy for me. Except for myself every other child suffered writing as they had no prior information on this. So I easily won. I do not think it was a fair game. Yet I do not worry now as universe has different intentions than everyone else. I have decided to write again about Migrating birds. To be fair I have forgotten all the details of that article. Hence I will only combine common knowledge and mindfulness, and you can be the judge on the essay.

Migrating birds

Real Migrating birds

Often I would sit by the lagoon in afternoons, just to let thoughts settle down in the chaotic mind. It is a slow process, yet when I do not stire the water it happens automatically. Effortlessly. Things I see during these hours are illuminating my life as I would often remember even tiny details like a bird flapping it's wings or crows attacking a flock of migrating Birds.

Migrating Birds, often few flocks, are seen fishing in shallow water, fare away from shore. And crows who are permanent residents of the lagoon do not like this. I am sure there is enough livestock, of fish for everyone even for fisherman and us. Yet instincts of crows are different and they get together for an attack. They take a flight from the shore, even to reach these foreigners they have to fly about 200 meters. And there is no place to land on water, as they have short legs, they would be drowned. So they can just attack one or two birds just a peck. And they have to return to the shore. 

I can only compare this to a modern day long distance warfare. The battle for the middle east during the world war 2 heavily depended on aviation power of British and Germens. And just like a flock of crows they had to fly long distances into enemy territory to attack. Im not sure it is even worth, all the trouble. Atleast not for the migrating Birds. They just ignore as this as surely is not the first time attacked by local inhabitants during their long journey from siberia.

It is amazing how much long distance they travel during winter to reach these feeding and breeding grounds in Indian ocean. But that is not even determined by their conscious thoughts. These are hardwired journies in their genetic code. Somewhere. They have no choice. They cannot stay in the paradise longer than few months to build an army and make a fortress of defence. Like all the intruders of Indian ocean they would eventually leave. Leaving only some horror in the minds of locals. They can never steal all the fish, all the gems or the rich soil.

Migrating birds in the lagoon

On boundries.

But migrating Birds teach us about some important rules about nature. Have you seen the videos about how scientists tracked a hawak on its journey a whole year. It had travelled so far north and south east and west, from mediterranean  to Depths of Nile and from Egypt to Russia over the Iron dome of Israel. 

Migrating Birds remind us that the boundaries are not real. They do not exist just a few feet above the ground and just a few feet below the ground. I am sure even a ballistic nuclear missile would know this if they had a consciousness. If they had a consciousness they would scream before they were fired, not only for their lives but at our foolishness as we are just shooting them across imaginary boundaries at ourselves. When are we going to think as a single human race and that the earth is our home.

It made me wonder, whether migrating Birds are really migrating? Humans migrate because of our imaginary boundaries, whenever we cross them. But for the bird consciousness there is no migration. Home is wherever they live. Have you ever thought about it? 

Do you consider yourself as a migrator?