The power of flight

Today I've been thinking about flying. What it means to be able to do it and the pros and cons that come with it. There are a few animals that can achieve powered flight like bats and some insects, but the group which has mastered it more than any other is, of course, the birds.

Birds are around us everyday and form part of our daily lives (well they do for me anyway). To see a single bird perched and then, in a split second, spread its wings, leap into the air and then beat up and down and become airborne is marvellous. How did that happen? Where did the idea for powered flight come from? Why has Nature given the birds this great honour and left most other forms of life on the Earth?

I've been watching a series on BBC One called 'Earthflight' which allows us to see the world that birds see when they are in the air. Every programme centres around the birds on a single continent and the trials and tribulations they endure to find food, a mate and a place to rear their chicks. It's fascinating stuff and I urge you all to watch it if you can. The fourth episode is on tonight at 8pm and focuses on South America.

Long live the birds!