What can animals teach us when we observe them?

Whether it is your backyard chickens (or ducks), the neighborhood birds, or wild critters roaming the Earth, all animals are able to teach us very valuable lessons.

For several months now our household has been watching nests. First it was eagle nests. Watching in awe as the eaglets break from their shells, then praying for them thru the wild spring weather, then hopeful for them as they jump from their nests for the first time. My daughter especially became captivated and would check on them multiple times every day, always offering an update of what they had done or what they were doing.

In my book I mark that as a homeschool win! She is interested in animals – especially birds – and I wanted to fan the flames of that interest.

When the eaglets were looking to fly the coop (as it were), we started thinking of another bird she could observe. Luck had it that the osprey in our area had returned from their South American winter vacation (i.e. migration) and after a little bit of looking, I was able to find two osprey nests, local to our area that had cameras.

The first is Hellgate Osprey, located in Missoula, MT. Which we actually had to go visit – from a far, that is – because my daughter wanted to see exactly where they were. The other is Charlo Montana Osprey, located in Charlo, Montana – which is only a couple hours from here. I assume it is located on private property, so no visiting – we just enjoy being able to watch them grow. And since we are familiar with the area, it helps my daughter to understand what they are physically going thru while we watch them on a screen.

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The good thing is that you don’t only have to observe wild animals. Since we have been raising ducks, I have been observing them – mostly using them for my mental health (you can’t be in a bad mood after watching ducks!) But it has given me a new understanding and appreciation for them. And not just domestic ducks, when we are out and about, we are able to spot the same behaviors in wild ones.

So, what can you learn by observing animals, wild or domesticated?

• Habitat (where they live)
• Nutrition (what they eat)
• Behavior
• Social interactions
• Communication (verbal, nonverbal)
• Stages of growth and development
• Lifespan
• How they care for each other
• How they clean themselves
• Migration
• How they handle weather, intruders, setbacks, heartbreak

I am gonna give some real-life examples for the last one that have just happened in the last few months.

• First was when a pair of eagles had no eggs hatch. After a very long time of waiting and trying they finally buried the eggs in the nest, cried out as if saying goodbye then left.
• Late Spring snowstorm covered our area with up to a foot of snow. It was amazing watching the osprey use such tender care for the eggs by using their feet to pull them up into their feathers to keep warm.
• Eagle nest collapsed with eaglets in the nest. Luckily, they were old enough to fly and were able to escaped without being harmed.
• And just this last week, one of the osprey nests we have been watching had a baby fall from the nest and die.
• And lately we are dealing with hot weather, but day after day, the Osprey mamas we are watching are keeping their babies shaded. It must be exhausting, but yet they do it.

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So, what about us – humans – what do we learn by observing animals?

• You learn how to observe, which is totally different than watching. I actually love what Farnam Street blog describes observation as ” a mental process involving both visual and thought”.
• Helps with memory and recollection
• Helps you to respect life
• Increases your awareness, not of just the animals themselves, but what they go thru. If you think about it, they are amazing – any and all of them. They live their lives without heat, water, or a phone! Could you do that?
• Teaches empathy and compassion

I hope you have a great day!

Dawn