Hmmm, who would have imagined we have so much to learn from a stocky, short-legged heron that prefers to mind its own business.
Most birds are quite territorial in the breeding season. Males will vigorously defend their chosen territory once they’ve found a mate and selected a nest site. But some birds adopt a different strategy – communal nesting sites.
Herons are perhaps the best example of communal nesting. They gather in large colonies, known as rookeries, nesting side by side in complete harmony.
Leslie Street Spit has a long established Black-crowned Night Heron rookery. Night Herons by and large prefer to mind their own business – becoming active at dusk when most creatures are settling in for the night.
I made my first visit of the season to the heron rookery just yesterday. It is an impressive indeed to see hundreds of these large, striking birds, with their blood-red eyes, amidst their treetop nests. Listening to the chorus of their trademark quok call gives evidence that they are quite content.
Leslie Street Spit is also home to thousands of Double-crested Cormorants – communal nesters themselves in other locations on the spit. Hundreds of cormorants were scattered throughout the trees in the heron rookery. It struck me as an uncommon example of tolerance that the herons accepted the presence of the Cormorants.
And then, to my surprise, I noticed that a few snow-white Great Egrets were nesting in the midst of the Heron rookery – occupying nests that were very probably built by Night Herons in previous years. The Night Herons seemed entirely at peace with this invasion.
I couldn’t help but think that we humans could take a lesson or two, in the clear light of day, from the Night Herons, namely:
… That we are stronger as a community than we could ever be as individuals.
… That tolerance and open doors (or open nests) is a far better survival strategy than cutthroat competition and a survival-of-the fittest mentality.
… That harmony grows from focusing on what we have in common rather than how we may be different.
I offer you the raucous and crowded Black-crowned Night Heron rookery as a metaphor for tolerance and harmony. If mankind followed their example, perhaps we would not need to be forever watching our backs and worrying when the next 9-11 might occur.
~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog.
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Tags: Cormorants · Egrets · harmony · metaphor · Michael Robert Dyet · Night Herons · toleranceNo Comments