Author Archives: Lee

Isaiah’s Eagle – A Promise For Us

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Great Blue Heron; Walton County, Georgia birding photogaphy blog by williamwisephoto.com

Last week, William Wise posted his great photo and post, Almighty Is His Name. And all week, I desired to post the scripture verses in Isaiah 40, that we read the next day. Somehow lately, time seems to get away from me. Not going birding, or having but few birds visiting the back yard, . . . . . .

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) Resting ©Flickr Andy Morffew

“Have you not known? Have you not heard?”

Bald Eagle Lowry Park Zoo 12-31-15 by Lee

“The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.“

Eye Surgery on an Eagle ©phillipdthomas

“He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.“

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) chicks ©USFWS

“Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,”

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) by Ray

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) by Ray

“But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:28-31 NKJV)

Sparrow Frozen To A Fence – DoDo

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Another interesting video from “the dodo” channel.

“Bird Frozen To Metal Fence Rescued by Kind Man | This little bird landed on a fence that was so cold, his feet froze to it and he couldn’t fly away. But luckily the nicest guy came along and knew exactly what to do.”

Not sure if this bird prayed like this, but it would apply to us if we were in such a predicament as this.

“Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me.” (Psalms 40:13 KJV)

P.S. This wouldn’t happen here in Central Florida. :)

See more from “the dodo” channel.

Millions of Years Old DNA? – Creation Moments

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 Timothy 6:20
“O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called…”

While even many Christians feel obligated to accept millions of evolutionary years, evidence continues to build for a young creation. The evidence has mounted to the point that even many evolutionists feel they must find some explanation for it.

In a previous Creation Moments program, we talked about DNA and other cell material found unfossilized in what was otherwise a fossilized T. rex. Since then, a hadrosaur leg bone with intact blood cells has also been found. Then there is the mummified hadrosaur that was the subject of a television special. Even its internal organs were intact. According to evolutionists, we are supposed to believe that this mummy had not crumbled to dust in 77 million years. That claim is not credible, given our experience with the best preserved Egyptian mummies that are only a few thousand years old. Segments of DNA have also been found from Neanderthals, supposedly prehistoric mammals, plants and even bacteria. According to evolutionary dating, these samples range in age from 40,000 to 250 million years. Yet, we know that DNA is totally decayed in 10,000 years. Enough color pigment cells remain in a fossilized feather that you can still see the color pattern. Yet, it is supposedly more than 100 million years old.

While evolutionists have tried some explanations for this evidence, the simplest explanation is that they are young.

Prayer: Father, fill me with a greater hunger for Your Word so that, taught by You, I will not be misled by falsehood. Amen.

 Author: Paul A. Bartz

Ref: Acts & Facts, 6/09, p. 17, Brian Thomas, “Fossilized Biomaterials Must Be Young.” Photo: Corythosaurus casuarius skeleton a type of hadrosaur. (PD)

© 2020 Creation Moments.  All rights reserved.

Other articles about DNA

Mute Swans – From AviBirds

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Mark, from AviBirds, has given us the privledge of viewing the various videos that they produce. Here is the one about the Mute Swan (Cygnus Olor).

We are fortunate to see the Mute on several of the Lakes over in Lakeland, Florida. Plus, other places around here, but we have birded Lake Morton and Lake Hollingsworth many times over the years. Here are a few of those sightings:

Why you looking at my foot – Mute Swan at Lake Morton

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) (close up) at Lake Morton, Lakeland, FL By Dan’sPix

Mute Swan on Nest at Lake Morton

Mute Swan on Nest at Lake Morton by Dan

“And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle,” (Leviticus 11:18 KJV) From the “Do Not Eat List”

Stop by AviBirds for all of their videos, or stay tuned for more postings here.

Birds of the Bible – Swans

Good News

Hawk Stuck In Grill Of Car – Dodo Channel

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Dan found this on The DoDo channel and I thought we would share it here:

But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. (Hawk in the case) (Psalms 10:14 NIV)

Ducks “Social Distancing”

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Black-bellied Whistling Ducks by Lee 3-15-20

Recently we were visited by a small flock of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. Not sure who told them to “Social Distance,” but they seem to be doing it.

A few years ago, we were at the shore where these birds were not practicing this. Then again, who had ever heard of “Social Distancing” until recently?

Crowded Shore at MacDill by Lee

These shorebirds definitely are NOT “Social Distanced.” We are trusting and praying that you are staying safe and finding things to do while staying home. Check the links along the sides of this page. There are many things and birds you can read about.

Remember that the Lord never wants us to “Social distance” from Him.

“But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, That I may declare all Your works.” (Psalms 73:28 NKJV)

Spend some of your time at home checking out these topics:

Indecisive Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks

Bible Birds – Whistling Ducks

Bible Birds

Scriptural Alphabet

Watching Birds

Golden Eagle

Bird Tales

Orni-Theology

Wordless Birds

 

Reflections and A House Ornament

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Great Egret Reflecting off the pond by Lee

Great Egret Reflecting off the pond by Lee

“Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another. He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit, And he who cares for his master will be honored. As in water face reflects face, So the heart of man reflects man.” (Proverbs 27:17-19 NASB)

“When I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked, and received instruction.” (Proverbs 24:32 NASB)

As you know, we have not been birding, or really going anywhere much lately. So, breakfast birding is becoming our birding adventures. Lately, when we go in and out of our housing addition, we have noticed quite frequently, a Great Blue Heron sitting on some houses. Of course, I have never had a camera ready or even in the car.

BUT, when we looked out, from the breakfast table, the other morning, this is what I saw. I grabbed the camera and took these photos:

Great Blue Heron on Housetop by Lee

Great Blue Heron on Housetop from breakfast table by Lee

I zoomed in closer, and sure enough, there the Great Blue Heron was on my neighbors house. Back in the “old days” we used to have hood ornaments on car hoods.

Hood Ornament on a Packard (Library of Congress PD)

Hood Ornament on a Packard (Library of Congress PD)

This Heron is making a great “House Ornament.”

Great Blue Heron on Housetop by Lee

Great Blue Heron on Housetop by Lee

Great Blue Heron of Housetop by Lee

Great Blue Heron of Housetop by Lee

“For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.” (Luke 12:2-3 KJV)

Well, it’s back to relaxing until the next Breakfast bird/birds show up to entertain us. In the mean time, I have been working on my Geneology.

LEE’S ANCESTRY ADVENTURES

Wordless Birds – With Hummingbirds

Bee-eaters – Creation Moments

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White-fronted Bee-eater (Merops bullockoides) ©WikiC

White-fronted Bee-eater (Merops bullockoides) ©WikiC

Here is another interesting video from Creation Moments about the habit of Bee-eaters of eating bees loaded with poison.

 Watch our video about
one of God’s most amazing
creatures – birds that eat bees!

 

Bee-eaters make their living catching and eating bees and wasps with stingers. The poison in many of these stinging insects is powerful enough to kill bee-eaters, but the birds are not only skilled at avoiding stings, they know how to remove the poison from the bee when they eat it! And they have one other important skill, which you’ll learn about when you watch our “Birds Who Build Pyramids” video.

Click here to watch or click the photo above.

From Creation Moments ©2020

“I know every bird of the mountains, And everything that moves in the field is Mine.” (Psalms 50:11 NASB)

Interesting Things

From The Breakfast Table – 7/24/20

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White Ibis checking out our yard.

White Ibises checking out our yard.

Well, while eating our breakfast today, we had another birdwatching adventure. Since I have been staying in more again because of this Covid-19 pandemic, there have been no trips to watch birds. No birds, no posts. Thankfully, Dr. Johnson (JJSJ) and William Wise have been adding post here.

With the heat of summer, the birds are less frequent this time of year. Many migrate north, but they will return this fall. Also thankfully, there are those who are resident birds and hang around. Today was a show of Northern Mockingbirds. When we moved here recently, I brought a Beautyberry shrub with me. My neighbor helped me prune it, and it is the best it has ever been. I have been watching the little berries develop, and now, some of them are ripening up.

Northern Mockingbird on Hook 2

Northern Mockingbird on Hook

“For at the window of my house I looked out through my lattice,” [double sliding door] (Proverbs 7:6 NASB)

First a few White Ibises walked through the yard, and then the Mockingbirds started to appear. I have only seen one most of the time. Must be something about those berries that brought the whole family in. Before breakfast was over, five had come in at once. Three of them seem like juveniles or almost mature, the other two, I assume are the adults.

Here are some of the photos I took while sitting at the breakfast table:

American White Ibises checking for whatever:

White Ibis checking out our yard.

White Ibis checking out our yard.

Northern Mockingbirds on the hook and the Beautyberry plant:

Northern Mockingbird on Hook

2 Northern Mockingbirds on Hook

Young Northern Mockingbird on Hook

Eating berries

“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?” (Matthew 6:26 NASB)

All these visitors made for an entertaining and blessed start to our day. Here is a video of some of this activity. All from my chair at breakfast.

Video of Mockingbirds:

And video of Juvenile Mockingbird

Good News

Creation Moment’s – Tool Users That Are Something To Crow About

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New Caledonian Crow (Corvus moneduloides) by Ian Montgomery

Genesis 4:22

“And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-cain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.”

Many creatures have been found that use sticks, leaves and other items as tools. Chimpanzee parents teach their youngsters to poke sticks in termite holes to get termites. However, no animal has shown an instinctive tendency to make and use tools, until now.

Caledonian crows are among the known tool-users. A pair of captive New Caledonian crows were having trouble incubating their four eggs. So researchers decided to incubate and raise the young crows themselves. Upon hatching, the young crows were separated into two pairs. One pair received lessons on how to use twigs to poke food out of slots. The other pair received no lessons, nor were they allowed to see their siblings using tools. When they were given sticks and leaves, they spontaneously began using the twigs to poke food out of a slot. One of them also tore a leaf into a food poker. After evaluating all the behavioral data, researchers concluded that while crows have a natural tendency to make and use tools, they also learn how to make improved tools from their elders.

Tool making is not what separates man from animals, although we can make tools far superior to those made by animals. The Bible tells us that the earliest man was made in the image of God and that the earliest generations of man were already making iron tools.

Prayer: Father, thank You for making me for a relationship with You and making a relationship possible through Christ. Amen.

Author: Paul A. Bartz

Ref: Science News, 1/15/05, p. 38, S. Milius, “Crow Tools.” Image: New Caledonian crow (PD)

© 2020 Creation Moments. (Used with permission)

Lee’s Addition:

We have had several previous articles about the tool usage of birds:

Birds of the Bible – Uniquely Created Tools

Interesting Things – Fleas, Birds and Tools

The Best Toolmakers in the World by Emma Foster

The Crow and the Screwdriver – by Emma Foster

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Hope for Hard Times

 

Jesus And Birds – Birds Not Sowing

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Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) with Hoard or Grainary WikiC

Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) with Hoard or Grainary WikiC

Wow! Where does time go? With all this craziness over the Coronavirus and the uneasiness of our country, time gets away from me. Maybe I need to listen to what Jesus was saying about not being anxious. This is the 4th mention of birds by the Lord while here on earth. 1st Cleansing Of Temple was the last in this series. That was back in May.

“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?” (Matthew 6:25-26 NASB) [emphasis mine]

Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala) ©WikiC Feeding

Coppersmith Barbet (Psilopogon haemacephala) ©WikiC Feeding

This time we have the much quoted, and taught, lesson about the feeding of birds of the air. Mathew 6:25-34 is a favorite passage of mine. The Lord encourages us to relax and put our trust in Him. LOOK!!! at the birds, I take great care of them. I WILL ALSO take great care of you!!

Clothes? Look how HE feeds and dresses the birds! Even the plants, are so beautiful.

“And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? “And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.” (Matthew 6:27-29 NASB)

QUIT WORRYING!

“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?‘ “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” (Matthew 6:30-32 NASB)

So, how do we quit worring, Look to Jesus and His Kingdom. First by accepting Him as our Savior, and then learning to trust fully in His care and provisions. No, the food won’t fall out of heaven, but the Lord will provide us the means of providing what we can. Then we need to depend on Him to provide whatelse we need. (Not always what we want)

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:33-34 NASB)

Gospel Message

 

Bobble-Body or Gaze Stablization

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A friend placed this video on my Facebook. Another friend commented that instead of a bobble-head, it seems to have a bobble-body. That appears to be a very appropriate name for this Kingfisher’s actions.

Kingfisher, which aired on the BBC’s Winterwatch

Audubon’s comments had this remark about this birds video:

“Here’s an experiment: While reading this sentence, shake your head back and forth, and then nod up and down. Notice how the words on your screen remain in focus? Congratulations, you just experienced “gaze stabilization.”

It’s this natural ability that allows us to maintain a clear line of vision even when our bodies are in motion.”

Sacred Kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus) ©WikiC

“Gaze stabilization found in nature has inspired modern technologies, such as those used to stabilize images in cameras and drones. “Any cameras that films movies have image stabilization,” Dickman says.” Read this whole artcle at For Birds, a Steady Head Is the Key to Incredible Focus

Gazing, or keeping our eyes focused on things, is mention frequently in Scripture.

“Look up at the heavens and see; gaze at the clouds so high above you.” (Job 35:5 NIV)

Stephen Gazed: “But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” (Acts 7:55-56 NKJV)

Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) by Ian

“He has regarded the prayer of the destitute And has not despised their prayer. This will be written for the generation to come, That a people yet to be created may praise the LORD. For He looked down from His holy height; From heaven the LORD gazed upon the earth, To hear the groaning of the prisoner, To set free those who were doomed to death,” (Psalms 102:17-20 NASB)

“At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had faith to be made well, said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he leaped up and began to walk.” (Acts 14:8-10 NASB)

Where are we gazing?

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2 NASB)

What will you do with Jesus?