Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)

December is that busy time of the year when you don’t get to do as much birdwatching as you would like to do. There are so many other things going on and then we had several days where it rained or was overcast. But, all is not lost. There is always the window to look out. Recently we increased the size of the feeding area in our small backyard and now a few birds are coming. Until this month, about all that showed up were the Mourning Doves, the Boat-tailed Grackles, our local Sandhill Crane and of course the Squirrels. In the last few weeks 11 White Ibises, 4 Palm Warblers, our Northern Mockingbird, one Yellow-headed Blackbird and three Red-winged Blackbirds and two Eurasian Collared-Doves came in to check out the feeders. A Red-shouldered Hawk scattered the birds one morning. Today and yesterday, we have had an invasion (75+) of Brown-headed Cowbirds and one Red-winged Blackbird. The problem we have is that our yard is up against a major road and it spooks the birds, so even getting the birds that most people don’t care for is a delight for us. These birds are the ones who like to empty your feeders in “no time flat”.

Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? (Luke 12:24 NKJV)

Brown-headed Cowbirds

What a promise to the birds and to us. God feeds them most time by the plants and bugs in the fields, but he also uses our feeders and water to supply their needs. The same is true for people who are righteous. The Bible says in Psalms 37:25-28, “I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; And dwell forevermore. For the LORD loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off. (NKJV) The Lord helps His own by seeing they have jobs and their needs met. If times get hard and the job is gone, the Lord will lay it on someones heart to help them out. He has promised to meet our “needs” not our “wants.”