“Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?” (Isaiah 45:9 KJV)
Birds building mud nest on window sill ©©
*
*
Marbled Duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris) at Lowry Park Zoo by Lee
“He turns a wilderness into pools of water, And dry land into watersprings. There He makes the hungry dwell,…” (Psalms 107:35-36a NKJV)
Today we will continue through the Anatidae family of Ducks, Geese, Swans and allies. We start off with these neat Marbled Ducks that greet us when we visit the Parakeet Plus Aviary at Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, FL.
Marbled Duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris) at Lowry Park Zoo by Lee
“The marbled duck, or marbled teal (Marmaronetta angustirostris), is a medium-sized duck. It used to be included among the dabbling ducks, but is now classed as a diving duck. The scientific name, Marmaronetta angustirostris, comes from the Greek marmaros, marbled and netta, a duck, and Latin angustus, narrow or small and rostris billed.The marbled duck is approximately 39–42 cm (15–17 in) long. Adults are a pale sandy-brown colour, diffusely blotched off-white, with a dark eye-patch and shaggy head. Juveniles are similar but with more off-white blotches. In flight, the wings look pale without a marked pattern, and no speculum on the secondaries. These birds feed mainly in shallow water by dabbling or up-ending, occasionally diving. Little is known of their diet.”
Pink-headed Duck (Rhodonessa caryophyllacea) Specimen Extinct ©WikiC
“The pink-headed duck (Rhodonessa caryophyllacea) was (or is) a large diving duck that was once found in parts of the Gangetic plains of India, Bangladesh and in the riverine swamps of Myanmar but feared extinct since the 1950s. Numerous searches have failed to provide any proof of continued existence. It has been suggested that it may exist in the inaccessible swamp regions of northern Myanmar and some sight reports from that region have led to its status being declared as “Critically Endangered” rather than extinct. The genus placement has been disputed and while some have suggested that it is close to the red-crested pochard (Netta rufina), others have placed it in a separate genus of its own. It is unique in the pink colouration of the head combined with a dark body. A prominent wing patch and the long slender neck are features shared with the common Indian spot-billed duck. The eggs have also been held as particularly peculiar in being nearly spherical.”
Red-crested Pochard (Netta rufina) by Dan at Zoo Miami
The next genus, Netta, and the Aythya genus, together make up the: “Subfamily: Aythyinae, diving ducks (Some 15 species of diving ducks, of worldwide distribution, in two to four genera; The 1986 morphological analysis suggested the probably extinct pink-headed duck of India, previously treated separately in Rhodonessa, should be placed in Netta, but this has been questioned. Furthermore, while morphologically close to dabbling ducks, the mtDNA data indicate a treatment as distinct subfamily is indeed correct, with the Tadorninae being actually closer to dabbling ducks than the diving ducks)”
Rosy-billed Pochard (Netta peposaca) ©WikiC
“Netta is a genus of diving ducks. The name is derived from Greek Netta “duck”. Unlike other diving ducks, the Netta species are reluctant to dive, and feed more like dabbling ducks. These are gregarious ducks, mainly found on fresh water. They are strong fliers; their broad, blunt-tipped wings require faster wing-beats than those of many ducks and they take off with some difficulty.
They do not walk as well on land as the dabbling ducks because their legs tend to be placed further back on their bodies to help propel them when underwater.”
Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) at Lake Morton by Dan
“Aythya is a genus of diving ducks. It has twelve described species. The name Aythya comes from the Ancient Greek word αυθυια, aithuia, which may have referred to a sea-dwelling duck or an auklet.” The Aythyas are the; Canvasback (A. valisineria), Common pochard (A. ferina), Redhead (A. americana), Ring-necked duck (A. collaris), Hardhead (A. australis), Baer’s pochard (A. baeri), Ferruginous duck (A. nyroca), Madagascar pochard (A. innotata), New Zealand scaup (A. novaeseelandiae), Tufted duck (A. fuligula), Greater scaup (A. marila), Lesser scaup (A. affinis)”
[all quoted material is from Wikipedia]
“Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.” (Genesis 8:17 KJV)
“And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him: Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.” (Genesis 8:18-19 KJV)
“How Can I Keep Singing” ~ The 3+1 Trio (Pastor Jerry, Reagan Osborne, Caleb and Jessie Padgett)”.
*
Anatidae – Ducks, Geese and Swans
Pastor Jerry Smith – Testimony
*
“How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?” (Job 4:19 KJV)
Birds building mud nest on window sill ©©
*
*
“Behold, I am according to thy wish in God’s stead: I also am formed out of the clay.” (Job 33:6 KJV)
Crested Hornero (Furnarius cristatus) ©©Flickr KarinaDiarte
*
*
Salmon-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) at Parrot Mtn by Lee
As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire; (Psalms 83:14 KJV)
As you may recall, Dan and I visited the Parrot Mountain and Garden of Eden in Gatlinburg, Tennessee this summer. There have been devastating fires up in the mountains in that area due to severe drought conditions. Many places have been destroyed in the Gatlingburg surrounding area. Dollywood, who has quite a collection of Eagles and Parrot Mountain with their Parrots were to close for comfort, but the Lord has been good to them and their keepers.
Salmon-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) at Parrot Mtn by Lee
“I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.” (Psalms 50:11 KJV)
Salmon-crested (Moluccan) Cockatoo at Parrot Mountain
Parrot Mountain’s Prayer Garden
Plantain-eater at Parrot Mountain
Parrot Mountain’s Origin and Mission
Here are some of the articles you might find interesting:
Dollywood’s eagles ‘safe and sound,’ as are Parrot Mountain birds
This is from their Facebook Account:
Parrot mountain was not affected by the fires! All the birds are safe and secure! God was watching over Parrot mountain. We pray for all those who were affected by the fires. Thank you all for your concerns ! We appreciate you all and love you guys. #PrayForGatlinburg
LIST: What’s damaged, destroyed and intact From 9 News
*
“He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.” (Psalms 78:15 KJV)
Sword-billed Hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera) ©Flickr Gregory Slobirdr Smith
*
*
“Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.” (Psalms 17:5 KJV)
African Finfoot with puffy feet ©WikiC
*
*
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) With young ©CountryTraveler
“If a bird’s nest chance to be before thee in the way in any tree, or on the ground, whether they be young ones, or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young:” (Deuteronomy 22:6 KJV)
Today’s group of members from the “Ducks Plus” family, the Anatidae, are all from one Genus. The Anas according to Wikionary is: ” A taxonomic genus within the family Anatidae – various species of dabbling duck. These are probably the most common group of ducks many of us see. The genus name is the Latin for “duck”. It includes mallards, wigeons, teals, pintails and shovelers in a number of subgenera. “Dabbling” is where the duck upends itself to feed. They feed mainly on water plants, which they obtain by tipping-up in shallows—uncommonly by diving (with opened wings); they often forage near the shore for seeds and insects. The bill is flat and broad, the hindtoe unlobed. Dabbling ducks float high in the water and are swift fliers, leaping upward on noisy wings before attaining level flight, usually in compact flocks.
Blue-Winged-Teal-Dabbling ©Flyways USFWS
The mallard (/ˈmælɑːrd/ or /ˈmælərd/) or wild duck (Anas platyrhynchos) is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, the Falkland Islands and South Africa. This duck belongs to the subfamily Anatinae of the waterfowl family Anatidae.
The male birds (drakes) have a glossy green head and are grey on wings and belly, while the females (hens or ducks) have mainly brown-speckled plumage. Both sexes have an area of white-bordered black speculum feathers which commonly also include iridescent blue feathers especially among males. Mallards live in wetlands, eat water plants and small animals, and are social animals preferring to congregate in groups or flocks of varying sizes. This species is the main ancestor of most breeds of domesticated ducks. I personally think that this duck, the Mallard, was on board the Ark. He seems to have obey the command to:
“Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with thee. Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.” (Genesis 8:16-17 KJV)
Mallard Duck Family ©WikiC
The mallard was one of the many bird species originally described by Carl Linnaeus in his 18th-century work Systema Naturae, and still bears its original binomial name. The scientific name is from Latin Anas, “duck” and Ancient Greek platyrhynchus , “broad-billed” ( from platus, “broad” and rhunkhos, ” bill”).
But the Mallard is not the only duck in this genus, Anas. There are 48 others. As mentioned, much interbreeding has taken place, and eventually these were raised to species status. After showing you the Wood Ducks last week, their is another beauty from the Lord in this week’s group.
Baikal Teal (Anas formosa) ©WikiC
We have seen this Teal, but not in that breeding outfit.
Baikal Teal (Anas formosa) Zoo Miami by Lee
Unfortunately this genus contains “some of the world’s finest game birds: the black duck(Anas rubripes), much sought after by hunters; the mallard; the gadwall(Anas strepera); the garganey (A. querquedula); the pintail (A. acuta), perhaps the world’s most abundant waterfowl; the shoveler (Anas, or Spatula, clypeata), the “spoonbill” of hunters; the teals, races of Anas crecca and other species; the wigeons, Anas, or Mareca, americana and A.,or M., penelope. (Enclopeaedia Britannica) As you all know, I am a birdwatcher/photographer, not a hunter. I realize hunter organizations do much to maintain hunting areas and prevent over-hunting. That is a good thing, but not my “cup of tea.”
Here is a of each by last name:
Teals do not totally submerge when feeding and are often seen with just their rears showing as the search for food. Because of their feeding method, teals are more buoyant than diving ducks.
Cape Teal (Anas capensis), Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors), Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera), Bernier’s Teal (Anas bernieri), Mascarene Teal (Anas theodori), Sunda Teal (Anas gibberifrons), Andaman Teal (Anas albogularis), Grey Teal (Anas gracilis), Chestnut Teal (Anas castanea), Auckland Teal (Anas aucklandica), Campbell Teal (Anas nesiotis), Brown Teal (Anas chlorotis), Red-billed Teal (Anas erythrorhyncha), Yellow-billed Teal (Anas flavirostris), Andean Teal (Anas andium), Baikal Teal (Anas formosa), Eurasian Teal (Anas crecca), Green-winged Teal (Anas carolinensis), Silver Teal (Anas versicolor), Puna Teal (Anas puna), Hottentot Teal (Anas hottentota)
*
Gadwall (Anas strepera) by Nikhil Devasar
The gadwall is a quieter duck, except during its courtship display.
Gadwall (Anas strepera)
*
Falcated Duck (Anas falcata) at Wings of Asia by Lee
Ducks are mostly aquatic birds, mostly smaller than the swans and geese, and may be found in both fresh water and sea water.
Falcated Duck (Anas falcata), African Black Duck (Anas sparsa), American Black Duck (Anas rubripes), Mottled Duck (Anas fulvigula), Mexican Duck (Anas diazi), Hawaiian Duck (Anas wyvilliana), Laysan Duck (Anas laysanensis), Philippine Duck (Anas luzonica), Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa), Indian Spot-billed Duck (Anas poecilorhyncha), Eastern Spot-billed Duck (Anas zonorhyncha), Yellow-billed Duck (Anas undulata), Meller’s Duck (Anas melleri)
*
Mallards by Dan
The male mallards (drakes) have a glossy green head and are grey on wings and belly, while the females (hens or ducks) have mainly brown-speckled plumage.
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
*
American Wigeon (Anas americana) by Daves BirdingPix
The wigeons are similarly shaped, with a steep forehead and bulbous rear to the head.
Chiloe Wigeon (Anas sibilatrix), Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope), American Wigeon (Anas americana), Amsterdam Wigeon (Anas marecula),
*
Northern Shoveler Male Close Up
The shovelers (American English), or shovellers (British English), are four species of dabbling ducks with long, broad spatula-shaped beaks:
Cape Shoveler (Anas smithii), Red Shoveler (Anas platalea), Australasian Shoveler (Anas rhynchotis), Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)
*
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) ©USFWS
The Pintail is a large duck, and the male’s long central tail feathers give rise to the species’ English and scientific names.
White-cheeked Pintail (Anas bahamensis), Yellow-billed Pintail (Anas georgica), Northern Pintail (Anas acuta), Eaton’s Pintail (Anas eatoni)
*
Garganey (Anas querquedula) by Nikhil Devasar
Garganey (Anas querquedula)
*
*
“And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew. So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid. But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.” (John 6:18-20 KJV)
“Ship Ahoy”~ from “Great is Thy Faithfulness” by Dr. Richard Gregory
*
More Sunday Inspirations
*
“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” (Psalms 100:4-5 KJV)
Mixed Flock of birds flying in a V Formation- Put together- ©Creative Commons
*
*
Our writer here, James J. S. Johnson, has his own blog, over at RockDoveBlog. I thought his Thanksgiving post is so interesting, that I am sharing it with you here:
Who Supplied the Food for the First Thanksgiving?
James J. S. Johnson
And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; 12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without [outside], and that ye may have lack of nothing. (1st Thessalonians 4:11-12)
Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. (Ephesians 4:28)
Recently my happy-hearted 5-year-old grandson was taught a little Thanksgiving song, in kindergarten. It was a catchy tune, yet some lyrics contained a PC (i.e., politically corrupt) “gotcha”. The little ditty went something like this:
The Indians brought the food; the Pilgrims set up the table…
Of course, I chose not to admonish my enthusiastic grandson that the little chorus was historically twisted – revisionist “history” in song – giving the impression that the Pilgrims were just invasive “takers”, as if the Indian natives alone provided all the food eaten during the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth. But it bugged me (and it continues to bug me) that trusting kindergartners are misled into believing…… [Read the rest of this blog]
*
James J. S. Johnson’s Articles Here
*
Dr. Jim, (James J. S. Johnson) shared this with me and I thought you also might enjoy seeing the Lord’s Hand at work in the cold climate.
https://player.vimeo.com/video/41225777?badge=0
“Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.” (Psalms 77:14 KJV)
Trust you are being thankful this week for all the Lord’s Blessings
*
“Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.” (Job 31:6 KJV)
Freckled Duck (Stictonetta naevosa) by Lee at Zoo Miami
*
*
Lee's Birdwatching Adventures Plus 