This is what a bird looks like stuck in a mist net. Mist nets are used to capture birds who fly into them unsuspectingly so that they can be evaluated and banded for tracking. I imagine it is a bit traumatic for the birds at first. You are flying along, eagerly greeting the day, when BAM, you are engulfed in an almost invisible web of tangles. Once you start to kick and flutter out of fear, you become totally caught. At that point, there is little way out on your own.

It is not until this huge and strange looking human comes along, grabs you in his or her hands, and starts meticulously untangling the mess that surrounds you that you are removed from the chaos. When it comes to bird banding, there is generally a happy ending. The bird is processed quickly, gets a new fancy piece of jewelry to wear on a leg, and is set free within a few minutes. Aside from a slight interruption to the morning routine, there is no harm involved.

Like birds, we humans find ourselves stuck at times too. We can quickly feel surrounded by a web of frustration and confusion. We want to thrash and fight – it is a natural reaction when one feels his/her wings confined. Interestingly enough, birds that fly into mist nets only get stuck when they thrash about. In fact, upon hitting the net initially, the bird is not stuck at all, just resting in one loop of the net. A calm shift in the other direction, and the bird flies away without a hitch. I’ve seen birds realize this instantly – they stop, look around quietly, and fly away. Far too many though don’t take the time needed to assess the situation, entering into a fast and furious frenzy right off the bat.

There is a lesson here, I think. When life gets frightening and you receive a fast-ball out of nowhere, sudden panicked reactions will only make things worse. Taking time to pause, to breathe, to assess, and to calmly react is a much better bet for a quick and painless release.