NORTHERN DRIFT: Looking to nature for lessons on preparing for change
The days have been very changeable lately. There is a marked difference in the weather here in the far north. Within a week the temperatures have dropped a notch and the winds are picking up again. Tractors have made their mark in the fields, clearing space for new grass to grow. Leaves are already falling off the trees. The swallows are gathering and, in the words of John Keats, are “twittering in the skies.”
Very soon, students will be leaving home and “migrating” to their new universities and future lives. The sea is getting rougher, the waves spilling some of the dead seaweed onto the shore. The light is different and days are gradually getting shorter, the clouds dense in the sky. The stars are brighter on clear nights. The sunsets are dramatic in the lowering light.
Change is coming. A new season approaches. There is a part of me that is raring to go, to move into the mysterious phase of transition, whatever it brings, exciting, disturbing, hopeful. This takes a certain level of letting go and staying very open, along with some preparation. The need for change is a nudge to wake myself up, and to stir creativity. Change is life!
I was sitting outside with a friend in a moment of evening light, when the wind had died down to a slight breeze keeping any midges away from us, and the clouds passed. It was beautiful. Suddenly as though out of nowhere, swallows swooped around and above us, one by one, in sync with each other. I assumed they were out for their evening exercise and meal, foraging for insects on the wing.
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It has been touching to see the parents train their new young to fly. “Higher higher!” I can imagine them chirping, giving great encouragement and helping the little ones stretch their wings to reach new heights. As graceful and peaceful as it might look in this calm Caithness context, it is serious business, as a long and arduous journey awaits them. In a short time from when you read this, the swallows will depart and begin their epic flight to South Africa, flying for six weeks, at up to 200 miles a day! They will certainly need to be strong enough to go higher and further once they embark on their migration this month.
While sitting in the dusk of late afternoon it was so uplifting to hear their twitters and watch them swoop and dive in a seemingly joyful flight.
Swallows have enchanted poets for centuries, inspiring verses that capture their grace, beauty, and migratory journeys. In various writings we witness their admiration for these creatures and their ability to evoke feelings of freedom, hope, and connection to the natural world.
In a short but powerful poem, Tennyson highlights the continuous chirping of the swallow. The repetitive sound of "twit" and "jug" mimics the bird's call, creating a vibrant and energetic atmosphere. Tennyson emphasises the bird's practical nature, dismissing any notion of it being a mere romantic.
“Twit, twit, twit,
“Jug, jug, jug, jug, jug, jug,
“So drinks the swallow winging southward, he is no dreamer.’
- Excerpt from "The Swallow”.
Throughout the summer the swallows have been preparing. They are practical and purposeful in their actions which lead to this moment. These special birds play their necessary part in the fabric of our ecology and, with the right balance, help make the world go round!
How can we step into this new season, and approach change with practicality and grace, valuing all that we have, and embracing all that lies before us on this journey of life?
Monique Sliedrecht is an artist and blogger based at Freswick. Visit her blog at www.moniquesliedrecht.com
