Purple Gallinule Reaching Circle B
We greatly enjoyed this past week-end. Dr. James J. S. Johnson, from Institute For Creation Research, who writes for this blog, came to speak at our church. We had not met him personally and so this was a time of getting to know him.
Dan and I, Dr. Jim (my name for him) and Golden Eagle (Baron) went birdwatching on Saturday. We took him to our favorite birding spot here, Circle B Bar Reserve. We saw 31 species, several “life birds” for him and one “life bird” for me, an Orange-crowned Warbler.
The Birders at Circle B Bar Reserve
After we left there, we went to Lake Morton. I wanted two things to happen, but it didn’t. Was hoping to let them feed the Wood Stork over there and see a Wood Duck. Not to be. We saw one Wood Stork, but he must have already been fed. We did get to feed some of our other friends there. All total, we saw at least 19 species there. Also, the Lord prepared a great day for us. (Rained good part of Sunday, but Saturday was beautiful.)
Dr Jim Feeding White Ibises at Lake Morton
While describing our trip later, I misused the word “boring” which got mistaken. What I meant was that compared other visits to those two places, the number of species were less than normal. Birdwatching adventures are never “boring.” How can they when you are out enjoying the Lord’s great creation? Amazing! Fabulous! Superb! Those are better words.
“But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; And the birds of the air, and they will tell you; (Job 12:7 NKJV)
“You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.” (Revelation 4:11 NKJV)
As Dr. James told us in his presentations, the Lord uses so much variety, provision, and design in each of His created beings, humans included. If we just slow down, God’s hand can clearly be seen. (my paraphrase) Just with the birds, the wing structure, specialized beaks, programmed travels, interconnection between bird and plant, and on and on. Oh, Praise the Lord!
Anhinga Lake Morton by Dan
I am including the list of birds seen at both places. Also, a short video of a Snowy Egret using his foot to stir up something to eat. Wonder how that habit came about? Could it be that the Lord programmed that in it because of promising to provide for them?
“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)
Also, Dr. Johnson’s talks showed slides with examples of these points. (From an excerpt)
Witnesses for God’s Truth – “This presentation reviews 5 different kinds of witnesses for God’s truth, each of which takes away excuses from anyone who pretends to have no witness of God and His glory: (1) the physical creation, including our own physical bodies; (2) the uniqueness of humanity; (3) Scripture; (4) Christ’s incarnation; and (5) one more witness that we all are accountable for, and this one is quite scary!”
Lessons from the Zoo – “Did you know that the animal kingdom, in all of its diversity, reveals God’s creative genius and glory in uncountable ways? Why does God like and create variety in creation? How do the various animals living today, as well as other animals (like dinosaurs) which lived in earlier times, confirm the Bible’s account of creation – and refute Darwin’s evolutionary “natural selection” idea? This presentation provides a series of examples of big and little animals that display God’s handiwork in amazing ways. Mammals, reptiles, insects, spiders, fish, shellfish, jellyfish, and more!
Tricolored-Snowy-Great Egret-White Ibis at Circle B
Circle B Bar Reserve, Polk, US-FL
Nov 8, 2014 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Us, Dr J and Baron – 31 species
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
White Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill 6
Black Vulture 50
Turkey Vulture 50
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Red-shouldered Hawk
Purple Gallinule
Common Gallinule
Stilt Sandpiper
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Gray Catbird
Orange-crowned Warbler
Palm Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Boat-tailed Grackle
Lake Morton, Polk, US-FL
Nov 8, 2014 10:30 AM – 11:15 AM
Us, Dr J. and Baron – 18 species (+1 other taxa)
Mute Swan
Black Swan
Black-necked Swan
Muscovy Duck (Established Feral)
Mallard (Domestic type)
Blue-winged Teal
Ring-necked Duck
Anhinga
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
White Ibis
Common Gallinule
American Coot
Laughing Gull
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Blue Jay
Palm Warbler
Boat-tailed Grackle
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Lee's Birdwatching Adventures Plus 
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Thanks Dr. Jim for sharing your view of our fantastic weekend. It truly was enjoyable and informative.
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It truly was a “fantastic weekend”, and the best part was bird-watching with the Dusings (Dan & Lee) and “Golden Eagle” (Baron Brown), at Circle B Bar Reserve and later at Lake Morton. Quite a few lifers for me (wow!!), plus a lot of birds that I had not seen in several years, or had not seen so close-up with binoculars. Having white ibises snatch bread from my fingers was a special treat (for them and for me). On the nature trail at Circle Bar B we saw more birds in one hike than I had ever seen before (in one hike), plus we were within striking distance of a partially submerged alligator — glad he wasn’t feeling aggressively hungry! (And we saw some wild swine too.) Dan and Lee are top-notch birders, and they know where the birds are! (And “Golden Eagle” is no stranger to birding, either, obviously!). Thanks again, Lee, for this wonderful website, and thank again, Dan, for your magnificent photos of God’s avian marvels. (And it was a joy to visit your church, on Sunday, and to meet some of the fine folks there as well.) It was truly a fantastic weekend, and my appreciation for God’s Creatorship is enhanced as a result — it is beyond the telling how amazingly God has made those winged wonders. > JJSJ
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Thank you for posting these great photos of birds not seen here in Australia.Also very uplifting to read bible quotes about Creation.I am sick of hearing people going on about evolution.Thank you once again.Kindest regards Geoff
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Thank you. Those comments are an encouragement to continue the same. I also am tired of reading about man’s ideas about how things “just happened,” when God’s Word is so plain and true.
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Sounds like you all had an amazingly good time. Good of you to share so much of it with us.
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Thanks for your encouragement.
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