The Astonishing Bravery of Small Creatures
By: Deborah Barchi
Tags: Life Lessons, Courage, Nature, Birds, Outdoors

The Astonishing Bravery of Small Creatures

Small bodies, big hearts

I do admire when an elephant defends her calf, or when a lioness lashes out to protect her cub. But what really astonishes me is the bravery of the smallest creatures, who find boundless courage to protect and defend themselves and their offspring.

Courage doesn’t always roar.

— Mary Anne Radmacher

For example: One day, years ago, I was planting some pansies in my window box. Realizing I needed more potting soil, I went into my old garage to scoop some from a large bag I had stored there all winter.

I was surprised to see that the opening of the bag had several layers of old burlap covering the top. I tugged absentmindedly at the cloth and was startled to have the cloth tug back!

What could be in that bag of soil?

More cautiously now, and standing as far away as I could while still tugging at the cloth, I eased the burlap off the bag. Pulling it free, I gazed into the bag. There, staring back at me with dark, frightened eyes was a small field mouse. Clinging blindly to her belly were six pink babies, oblivious to the danger that towered over them.

But their mother knew the danger. She did not cower. She did not run. Instead she held my gaze, not boldly or tauntingly, but with simple bravery.

If ever I experienced inter species communication, it was at that moment. Mother to mother, we stared at each other for a few rapid heartbeats. Then I gently replaced the burlap over the bag, got in my car, and drove off to buy a new bag of soil.

The next day, I could not resist taking another peep at the mother mouse and her babies. But this time when I tugged the burlap there was no returning tug. The little family was gone. Bravery and common sense often do go hand in hand.

Another time, while stepping into the same garage, I discovered a chickadee had flown into the open window and was desperately trying to get out again. I opened the door and window wider, and tried for ten minutes to guide the frantic bird towards the openings.

Either I was too clumsy, or the bird too panicked, to find those escape routes. Finally, I managed to corner the exhausted creature and scoop it into my hand.

I held the bird firmly but gently with its tiny head sticking out between my thumb and index finger. To my astonishment and admiration, the little bird, weighing less than half an ounce, pecked vigorously at my hand the whole time. A virtual David furiously attempting to free itself from Goliath.

Within moments I had stepped from the garage and opened my hand to release the chickadee. Instead of flying off as fast and far away as possible, the fierce little creature sat on a nearby lilac bush and scolded me soundly.

I thought to myself, ‘If a giant 50 times my size had scooped me up in his grubby hands, would I have had the courage to pound away with my small fists?’ Somehow, I don’t think so!

Birds often show great courage, whether individually or in groups. When I first began to learn about birds, I often wondered what was happening when I saw a larger bird in the sky, with one or more much smaller birds circling and diving around it. At first I thought this might be because the little birds were actually fledglings, learning the art of flying from one of their parents. But more observation and reading soon taught me that what I actually was witnessing was mobbing.

Mobbing is a term used to describe the behavior of a small bird or birds that attack a larger bird in order to drive it away from their nests. Although the smaller bird does not have the power or strength of the larger bird, often the smaller bird has more dexterity on the wing.

So it is not unusual to look up at a clear sky in the spring or summer and see sparrows mobbing a blue jay; a blue jay mobbing a crow; and a crow mobbing a large owl. The smaller birds know the danger of getting too close to a threatening bird, but they take the chance nonetheless, and often are successful in driving away their enemy.

A model of courage for us all, don’t you think?