Soaring Laysan Albatross.

Laysan albatross are the kind of bird with which we fall in love. They possess faces made from the strokes of an artist’s paint brush. They glide with their six-foot wings stretched taut and swoop in gentle arcs up and over ocean waves. Laysan albatross are the kind of birds that make us humans long for wings and take to the air. They are the kind of bird that converts those among us who don’t consider themselves birders into birders.

I believe one of the reasons we fall for Laysan albatross is because we see so much of ourselves in them. And when it comes to the human emotion of love that we celebrate every Valentine’s Day, Laysan albatross have much to teach us.

1. This time of year in the Laysan albatross world, mates are taking turns guarding their newly-hatched chicks on their nests. Both the male and female participate in the rearing…