Birds of a feather

I know it's the time of year to see birds flocking South but it seems like this year there are an extraordinary amount of them right now and I thought - is this a message from the Universe? It struck me this morning how beautiful a flock of birds flying in formation is.

It also made me kind of wish I were a bird...in a flock. I know the reason they fly like they do:

Birds fly in a V to help conserve their energy during migrations.With the exception of the individual leading the group, each birdtrailing behind the other benefits from a reduction in wind resistance. The birds are deliberating tailgating each other; it's the concept of drafting, best known to those gutsy people who drive close behind a semi on the freeway to stay out of the wind and boost their fuel efficiency.

The next time you see ducks or geese flying in a V, watch them for awhile to see if he lead bird changes. Canada geese do this, and I suspect other species do, too. Do humans? Is there a reason for us NOT to? In social settings the leader can change but does it always? Since whoever is up front is working the hardest, every now and then the birds make a switch and the leader drops back, usually all the way back, where wind drag is lowest and a rested bird comes to the front.

While there is no single, unchanging leader for a V of birds on the move, it is the oldest, experienced individuals who are calling the navigational shots, using the sun and the stars at night to orient themselves and stay on course. Another thing you'll often notice is how a V changes shape. Sometimes it looks more like a check mark, with one bird flying lead, two or three birds trailing on one side, and the majority of birds strung out on the other. This is a strategy for dealing with wind which usually means a crosswind is blowing the short side of the formation is taking the brunt of the wind, and the birds are attempting to shield one another from it

If truth be told, I kinda want to be a bird in a flock. Maybe they know something we don't about the value and purpose of working in a true team fashion. No one trying to throw you under the bus but all working together towards the great goal. Hmmm, we can learn so much from our fine feathered friends.