Time to Leave the Nest

As most of you know, I often use examples from nature that apply to our daily life and emotional clearing and processing.  Well, here is the latest.

On Thursday, I went up into the local mountains to hike where it is cooler.  One of my favorite places is Navajo Lake, where there are several trails around its perimeter for hiking, biking and horse riding.  Unfortunately, because of our ongoing drought, the lake level is really low. I usually encounter ospreys nesting there, but after being on the trail for a bit, I noticed a bald eagle flying above the lake.  It flew the length of the lake up and down several times. 

As I hiked on, I almost forgot about the eagle until I saw it fly in front of me and up into a tree along the shore.  To my surprise, it had landed on a very large nest.  And sitting off to the side of the nest was a fledgling baby eagle!  This was no baby, as it was the same size as the adult, but almost solid black with some patterning in its feathers.  A newbie, born this year. 

Luckily, I had my camera at the ready, so I started taking photos.  As I got closer, the adult flew off and landed on a not so nearby tree, soon to be joined by its mate.  At this stage of the process, their job was to watch and protect the fledgling in case there was some sort of attack from another bird. 

Then I remembered.  It’s that time of year again!  The fledglings of all kinds of birds are ready to go off on their own.  For smaller birds, they chase the adults around mercilessly begging for food.  Sometimes they get fed, and sometimes the adult does its best to just get away and leave them on their own.  Everything eventually works out.

For the bigger birds, especially for hawks and eagles, the process is not as easy.  The adults do their best to show the fledgling how to start to become independent.  At about 14 weeks, the fledgling starts to do branching, where the young one will hop around, land on branches close to the nest, and also practice flapping their wings without actually taking off in flight.  The one I was observing was at this stage.   The adults will still bring food, not directly feeding the bird, but putting the fish, for example, in the nest so that the young can eat it. 

This process continues for several more weeks until the fledgling can fly and feed itself.  Then the parents leave.  Oh what a fuss!  For hawks and eagles both, the newly independent young bird will cry out in a most pitiful way, all day long, trying to get the adults to come back and continue the feeding process.  I have been hiking in wooded areas mainly during the first 2 weeks of August, and have heard this carrying on.  This is not the usual call that the bird will make, but almost like a baby crying.  Last year I heard fledgling ospreys at that same lake crying like this.  Eventually, they figure it out and become more independent. 

So what is this example that nature is giving?  I myself am examining leaving a nest that has given me much in the way of healing and spiritual evolution.  My sense is that it is time to move on, but that may be painful.  Nevertheless, it needs to be done.  I got that guidance some time ago, too.

Is there a nest that you need to leave?  Have you outgrown it and need to spread your wings once again?  Has that “adult” figure pushed you out?  Is that teacher, healer, guru or leader no longer a fit for you?  Could this be a family or community situation that is no longer a match? 

The key is listening to your own inner guidance and acting on it.  Have the courage to move on.  I firmly believe that when one door closes, another one opens.  We just need to step through.