Be the Owl

One Saturday morning last February, I was sitting at the dining room table enjoying a cup of coffee after a long and stressful week. I wasn’t quite awake just yet, so it may have taken me a while to recognize the sound coming from my backyard. I finally looked out the window and saw one of our ash trees full of squawking crows. There were too many even to count.

In my sleepy state, I just stood there staring at them, but then it slowly started to dawn on me that they wouldn’t squawk for no reason. They must be really angry at something. Usually that’s our neighbor’s cat lurking around, but as I surveyed the ground, no cat. I looked back up to the tree, and it was then I saw what crows hate the most of any living thing: an owl, perched in the same tree.

That owl had no business being awake at the same time I was awake. It was well after sunrise. These crows likely had been harassing the owl for some time, not letting it sleep. This is called a mobbing. The crows try to make the owl miserable because it’s a threat. As I watched, the owl looked strong and brave and seemingly at peace, like it wasn’t fazed a bit by all the crows, but it was probably even more tired than I was.

Eventually, the owl flew off to another tree, in another yard, and all the crows followed. I have no idea if the owl made it to a safe resting place again, or what it did in the first place to make the crows so mad.

Since that morning, I have done quite a bit of research about owls. Owls often are solitary, and nearly always nocturnal. Their unique feathers allow them to fly almost silently, sneaking up on their prey. They have precise hearing and can see in very low light, even at long distances. In western culture, owls symbolize wisdom and caution.

A group of crows is not called a flock, as you might think. Instead it’s called a murder. Crows do live in groups, never alone, always feeding off of each other. I have learned that sometimes the mobbing is successful, and crows can harass an owl to its death.

Nearly a year later, I can’t get the picture of the owl out of my mind. For some reason, that bird was sent to me when I needed it, because sometimes I feel like the owl, sitting alone tilting my head and taking all the heat. It’s, of course, also possible that sometimes I act like the crows, loudly spouting criticism. But watching those crazy birds that morning was an interesting lesson for me.

Be the owl. Tune out the crows. Don’t worry about all the squawking other people might do. Just do what you do and do it well. Soar with your big eyes wide open and let the haters trail behind, following you around with their big mouths open. In the end, you’ll be the one in front charting the course. Don’t be afraid to let other people in on what you see, even if it’s still too dark for them to believe you. When the mob appears, as you know it will, take a breath and hold your head up high. Keep flying, even if it’s only from tree to tree. Don’t give up. Be the owl.

If you’ve felt like the owl, too, boy, do I hear you. It sure would be nice to have another owl by your side. When critics keep turning up the volume, H Squared Communications can help. Behind the scenes, we can create a communications plan to bring the noise level down on any crisis.

Crows don’t rule the roost around here. No way. We’re owls.