Category Archives: Bird Tales

The Best Toolmakers in the World by Emma Foster

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New Caledonian Crow (Corvus moneduloides) ©Jolyon Troscianko

The Best Toolmakers in the World

 By Emma Foster

Once there was a group of crows that lived on an island off of eastern Australia. They were New Caledonian Crows and every day one of them would leave their group of large nests in the trees to hunt for food.

On one particular day, one of the crows named Oliver flew to a tree trunk to search for food. Oliver carefully ripped off a piece of a plant to scoop out some worms from the trunk. In order to scrape the worms out, Oliver bit the strip of the plant with his beak to give the side of it a sharp, jagged edge. After pulling out the worms, Oliver grabbed them in his beak and made ready to fly away.

But as Oliver was about to fly back to his nest he spotted two creatures he had never seen before.

New Caledonian Crow (Corvus moneduloides) by Ian Montgomery

New Caledonian Crow (Corvus moneduloides) by Ian Montgomery

They were tall, wearing long white things that looked like tails to Oliver. They were hiding in the bushes as if they were watching him, but because they didn’t appear as if they would attack, Oliver flew back to his nest leaving his tool behind.

The next day, Oliver returned to the same tree trunk and made another tool just like the one had constructed the previous day. But before he dug into the trunk for more worms he noticed the same creatures sitting behind the bushes and watching him make his tool. This time, they had a strange machine.

Glancing down, Oliver realized that the tool he had made yesterday was gone, and he guessed that the creatures must have taken it. Thinking, that all the creatures wanted was whatever he made, Oliver attempted an experiment. After pulling out some worms and placing them in his claws, Oliver flew close to where the creatures sat and dropped his tool. After flying away, Oliver hid and watched the creatures pick it up and examine it. It seemed that they were taking notes on the way he had shaped the tool.

The next day Oliver made another tool after digging out worms then flew back to the bushes. This time he waited in front of the bushes, and the two creatures came out from behind the bushes. Oliver remained where he was.

Eventually the two people cautiously came closer to him. The entire time they used the strange machine Oliver had seen before. Oliver watched patiently, wondering what they were doing. One threw a couple of nuts down and Oliver assumed that this was payment to him for giving them his tool. After a few minutes Oliver flew away with the nuts, still confused.

New Caledonian Crow (Corvus moneduloides) by Ian Montgomery

New Caledonian Crow (Corvus moneduloides) by Ian Montgomery

But what Oliver didn’t know was that the people were two scientists studying New Caledonian Crows in eastern Australia. They had been documenting exactly how Oliver had built his tool out of the plant in order to get his food. And according to studies, besides humans, crows like Oliver are the best tool makers in the world. But Oliver never knew why they were there or where the people had come from. He did, however, fly back to the other crows to explain what he had seen. The other crows appeared to be very impressed at how Oliver had become a tool entrepreneur. From then on, the other crows considered Oliver’s tools to be better than of all the others when it came to catching food.

Lee’s Addition:

“Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?” (Job 28:20 KJV)

Emma has given us another Bird Tale, but this one is actually based on some research she did about this interesting bird. She didn’t tell me which articles she had read, but I found several on the internet. One link and a video are below. Some of the articles found on line try to explain this behavior as part of evolution, but as the verse above says, we know where wisdom comes from. The Lord created the birds with enough knowledge to develop this habit. Crows are known as being very intelligent.

Thanks, Emma, for a very good article. Now we know how the birds must feel when they are being “watched” by those scientist. Keep up the great stories.

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More of Emma’s Stories

Wild New Caledonian crows possess tool-craft talent

This video shows the New Caledonian Crow working with his tool very successfully. His friend joins in the search for worms, but doesn’t quite have the knack of the first one. This was part of a research project of the scientist.

Patty Becomes a Teacher ~ by Emma Foster

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Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata) ©WikiC Female -2 young

Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata) ©WikiC Female -2 young

But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: (Job 12:7 KJV)

Patty Becomes a Teacher ~ by Emma Foster

Once there was a finch named Patty who lived in a large oak tree by an elementary school. She had built her nest up in one of the highest branches of the old oak tree so she could watch all of the students in the elementary school go out and play for recess and come back inside for class.

One day Patty decided that she would teach her own children different subjects just like the teachers in the school. In order to accomplish this, Patty watched the teachers every day through the window just to see what they taught. However, most of the subjects the teachers taught didn’t apply to her. For example, a bird wouldn’t have any reason to learn math.

Patty decided that her children should be taught subjects that birds would learn as they grew up. By now, they both already knew how to fly, but Patty knew her children would have to learn other things as well.

Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata) Nest ©Animalspot

Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata) Nest ©Animalspot

Patty began to teach her two children, Maggie and Robert, on Monday because Patty noticed how school always began on Mondays. Her first class was Advanced Nest Building, as Patty called it, which taught Maggie and Robert how to build extravagant nests that could span an entire tree branch. Patty had Maggie and Robert follow her around and explained to them what type of sticks and moss to pick up to make their nests large and sturdy so that they didn’t break apart in the rain.

Birds Learning About Worms ©BirdsOutsideMyWindow

The next class Patty taught Maggie and Robert was what Patty titled Advanced Worm Catching. Maggie and Robert watched their mother sit on top of a tree branch before swooping down to catch a large round worm. Throughout the week, Patty taught them how to catch worms at the right time and place and added that the best time to catch them was after it rained.

The third class Patty taught them was Self Defense, in case something ever attacked the nest. One day, a squirrel crawled up the tree in search of some acorns and Maggie and Robert watched as Patty batted the squirrel away with her wings. They were sure their mother must have done a good job because a teacher from inside the school opened up the window to see what was making all of the racket outside.

Bird Chasing Squirrel ©Houston 2 - Mark Rogerson

Bird Chasing Squirrel ©Houston 2 – Mark Rogerson

Patty was sure to teach Maggie and Robert these subjects every day just like the teachers did with the students at school. When Maggie and Robert grew up they built their own nests just like Patty taught them in Advanced Nest Building. And when Maggie and Robert had children of their own they taught them the same things that Patty had taught long before so that they knew how to catch good worms, build large nests, and keep their young protected.

The teachers at the school never understood where the loud squawking was coming from inside the large oak tree, but Patty knew it was her grandchildren practicing in case a squirrel ever climbed the tree. Patty felt very proud that her children and grandchildren thought that she had done a good job as a teacher.

I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. (Psalms 32:8 KJV)

Lee’s Addition:

Wow, Emma! Your stories just keep getting better all the time. Lord bless you as journey through your Senior year in High School. May you continue to develop your writing abilities the Lord has given you.

(Photos and verses added by Lee [that is why the pictures don’t exactly match the birds in the story])

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More of Emma’s great stories. You can see her steady development in her Bird Tales.

Watch for a new page for Emma’s Stories in the left menu soon. We need to honor her with her own page. She has well earned it.

UPDATE: Just Add A New Page For Emma – – Emma’s Stories

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Frank’s Driving Lesson – by Emma Foster

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Green Broadbill (Calyptomena viridis) by Peter Ericsson

Green Broadbill (Calyptomena viridis) by Peter Ericsson

“A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.” (Proverbs 29:23 KJV)

Once there was a small bird who lived in the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. His name was Frank. Frank was a Green Broadbill, and originally Frank had lived in Asia before being taken to the zoo. Frank was happy because he was kept in an exhibit with many interesting birds just like himself. Because he had such a bright green color, people would often find him interesting to search for in the exhibit.

Frank would often watch the different people who came to the zoo. Many times people would take pictures of him because they had never seen a bird like him before. Frank enjoyed it when people noticed him. Most of the time he would fly around the exhibit to different high spots for people to capture nice shots of him. Other times Frank would fly really close to the people.

But sometimes Frank became tired of flying around. He thought that maybe there could be another way for him to get about.

One day Frank was sitting on a branch high up in the exhibit so he could see a large part of the zoo. He watched one of the workers carefully drive a golf cart with buckets of food to feed the animals. Frank suddenly had an idea. If he were to drive the golf cart around, people were bound to notice him even more than they did already.

Green Broadbill (Calyptomena viridis) lesser ©©coracii

Green Broadbill (Calyptomena viridis) lesser ©©coracii

Frank watched carefully as the worker stopped the golf cart in front of his exhibit. He waited until after the worker had fed all of the birds and watched as the worker started the golf cart up again and drove away. It seemed simple enough to drive.

The next day Frank waited patiently as the worker came back to feed the birds once again. Once Frank was sure the worker wasn’t looking, he flew over to the golf cart and twisted the keys the way he had seen the worker do the day before. He flew down and pressed the pedal to the right like he had seen. The golf cart shot forward a little bit. Frank began flying back and forth rapidly in order to steer and press the pedal. Unfortunately, he didn’t get very far before the worker noticed the golf cart had begun to drift forward. The worker stopped the cart and shooed Frank out. Frank flew back to his branch. His plan hadn’t worked very well.

Green Broadbill (Calyptomena viridis) ©WikiC

Green Broadbill (Calyptomena viridis) ©WikiC

However the next day Frank woke up to see many different people gathering around him. They were all incredibly excited and were taking multiple pictures of him. A news reporter was filming footage of the entire spectacle explaining to the camera how Frank had been seen driving a golf cart around the zoo. The news reporter explained that someone had taken a picture of Frank driving the cart and had sent it to the local newspaper. The news reporters had discovered it and decided to do a story on it.

After hearing the reporter, Frank understood what was going on and was extremely happy. He was famous.

But eventually the crowds stopped coming. Frank realized, however, that even after the big story the same people would still come to watch him. He decided he was appreciated no matter what. From then on, Frank wouldn’t try to do anything unusual so people would notice him, especially driving golf carts.

Lee’s Addition:

“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” (Philippians 4:11 KJV)

Well, Emma, you have done it again. What a delightful story, especially, because Broadbills are some of my most favorite birds. We saw a Green Broadbill in the Wings of Asia at Zoo Miami. He was very friendly, like your Frank. Set right out near us. We weren’t in a golf cart, but maybe he was watching our cameras. Maybe he was thinking that taking pictures would be easier than driving.

Green Broadbill (Calyptomena viridis) by Lee at ZM 2014

Green Broadbill (Calyptomena viridis) by Lee at ZM 2014

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More of Emma Foster’s Bird Tales

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Georgina Goes on Summer Vacation – by Emma Foster

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Northern Mockingbird Viera Wetlands

Northern Mockingbird Viera Wetlands

Georgina Goes on Summer Vacation

~ by Emma Foster

There once was a Mockingbird named Georgina who lived in a large bustling city in the south. She had built her nest on top of a street light in the middle of a busy street. Every day, Georgina would watch the busy cars drive by as they beeped their horns. The scenery was nice during the winter, which was always mild, but Georgina never liked the city during the summertime. It was too hot and crowded for her.

Every day, since Georgina was a mockingbird, she would try to mimic the sounds that she heard in the city all of the time. But the hotter it became, the more Georgina grew tired of all the noises in the city and the hard work of mimicking them.

It was on one very busy, very hot day that Georgina decided that she needed a vacation. She decided that it would have to be somewhere cool and near the ocean. First she needed a map.

Georgina was flying around one day when she found a quarter that someone had dropped on the sidewalk. Georgina picked it up in her beak and used to it buy a map by the newspaper stand.

When Georgina flew back to her nest above the busy street, she searched the map looking for a place that seemed like a good vacation spot. Eventually she decided that she needed to fly north because it was colder up north no matter what time of the year.

Georgina left the busy city early one morning to fly north. She decided that she would come back in a few weeks when it was sure to not be as hot. For now, it was cool because it was early in the morning.

Georgina guessed that if she followed the map she would be able to travel farther up north in the direction she wanted to fly. She would stop when it became cold enough.

Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) At Sunset Beach NC ©WikiC

Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) At Sunset Beach NC ©WikiC

After a few days, the weather was still hot, but it was nice because Georgina was flying close to a beach. Georgina settled on top of a tall palm tree and made her nest out of broken sticks and twigs. She watched the waves ripple back and forth. Seagulls flew in all directions and the palm trees swayed. Georgina liked the peace and quiet. This was much better than the city.

But after a while, Georgina began to become uncomfortable. She had gone on vacation to get away from the noises of the city, but the ocean was pretty noisy too. Georgina mimicked a lot of the noises of the beach, but she eventually began to get tired of it. It was really hot near the beach as well. She didn’t remember mockingbirds ever going to the beach, and the heat was probably why. Georgina began to miss the city and all of its noises.

Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) In Flight ©Flickr Tom Wicker

Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) In Flight ©Flickr Tom Wicker

Georgina decided it was time to fly back to the city. As she began traveling back, the weather didn’t seem as hot as she remembered it to be. When she flew back to her nest on top of the street light, the weather already felt cooler in the city.

Georgina decided she would never go back to the beach. She would always be content where she was. Even if the summer was a little uncomfortable in the city with all the people, Georgina would stay all year round. And the next time she decided to travel, Georgina would buy a travel magazine.

THE END

Lee’s Addition:

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. (Philippians 4:11 KJV)

Great story, Emma. Many times humans act like Georgina and become discouraged with how things are. They think like the cattle. They think the “grass is greener on the other side.” Maybe a nest in a tree rather than on a street light. Keep up the great stories. We are all enjoying them.

See more of Emma’s stories along with some of our other guest writers.

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The Owl’s Library – By Emma Foster

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Western Barn Owl (Tyto alba) by Daves BirdingPix

Western Barn Owl (Tyto alba) by Daves BirdingPix

The Owl’s Library

By Emma Foster

Once there was an owl who lived in the attic of a library. His name was Leonard and his cousin’s name was Art. One day Leonard received a letter from Art telling him that Art had just published his own book.

Leonard watched people come and go to and from the library every day checking out different kinds of books. Leonard decided that it would be a great idea to have his own library. Then he could watch people check out books every day, and Art’s book could be checked out every day as well.

Leonard had to find some land for sale first. He flew to the library Art lived in, and asked for his help. Art told him how the librarian who owned the library he lived in was retiring and had already put the place up for sale. If Leonard couldn’t buy this library, Art wouldn’t have any place to live.

So Leonard went to the librarian. The librarian, Frank, said that he was going to retire and someone else would have to buy the property because he was in so much debt.
Leonard and Art got together and decided to hold a fundraiser to save the library. They began by posting flyers all over town. The fundraiser would be held that Saturday at the library. Leonard and Art decided that they would have a race to raise money for it. Many people who lived nearby, saw the sign, and decided they would run in the race.

On that Saturday, all the people, including many birds, made their way to the starting line to start running the race. Everyone would run or fly around the entire library and down several streets downtown nearby.

Mixed Flock of birds flying in a V Formation- Put together- ©Creative Commons

Mixed Flock of birds flying in a V Formation- Put together- ©Creative Commons

Art blew the whistle and Leonard watched excitedly s everyone started running as fast as they could. The birds flew up above the buildings to watch everyone run around the library and up the next street. They flew above them to cheer the runners on.

Leonard was excited to see how much money they had raised at the end of the day, so the race seemed to take a really long time. When the first runners ran around the corner to the finish line, Leonard flew after them for the rest if the day.

Barn Owl at Flamingo Gardens by Lee

Barn Owl at Flamingo Gardens by Lee

Everyone cheered when Leonard flew past the finish line with the first runner. When all of the donations were counted up, the total was ten thousand dollars, which was more than enough to keep the library open.

Frank decided that he would still retire, but since Leonard was so excited about keeping the library open, he decided to let Leonard run the library for him when he retired.
Leonard was really happy to run the library, and Art was happy that he would be living in the same library. Every day, Leonard would help people check out books while Art continued to write more books. Both Leonard and Art couldn’t have been happier, especially since they were able to save the library.

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And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. (Job 28:28 KJV)

O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. (Psalms 104:24 KJV)

Well, Emma has given us another enjoyable story to enjoy. I assume that since Leonard and Art will both be living in the library, they will become even “Wiser Owls.”

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Other Articles by Emma Foster

Wordless Birds

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The Substitute Teacher by Emma Foster

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Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna)

Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna) by Lee at Gatorland

The Substitute Teacher

~ by Emma Foster

Once there was an elementary school in the middle of Florida. The third grade class of that school had a class pet parrot named Beatrice. Every day, Beatrice would sit and watch as the teacher, Miss Kendall, taught the class. During recess, however, Beatrice would sneak over to the teacher’s desk and read over all of the material. She wanted to not only know what was being taught, but also wanted to know how to teach it to the class.

Beatrice wanted to be sure that she knew everything for Thursday. This was because Miss Kendall was going to be gone on Thursday and Friday for jury duty, and Beatrice was chosen by the school board to teach the class because she was the only one who knew the material so well.

Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna) ©WikiC

Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna) ©WikiC

On Thursday, when all of the third grade class entered into the classroom, they were surprised to find that Miss Kendall wasn’t there. Instead, Beatrice was sitting on top of her desk. Each of the students sat down and waited as Beatrice called the role. After she finished, Beatrice had the class say the pledge of allegiance like they did every morning, and she whistled the “Star Spangled Banner” along with the class afterwards.

Because Beatrice was a parrot, she was able to explain to the class why she was substituting for the day, and moved onto the first subject of the day: reading. Beatrice had the entire class read a few pages in the book they were supposed to read for a book report. During that time, Beatrice read over all that she had to do that day. The next subject was penmanship. This was the tricky part because Beatrice had to use her talons. She was able to shakily write the first few letters of the alphabet on the board. The class did much better than she did.

Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna) ©WikiC

Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna) ©WikiC

Finally it was time for lunch. Beatrice made sure all of the class stayed in a line as they walked down to the cafeteria. She brought along the crackers Miss Kendall kept in her desk for her and ate them there. When lunch was over, Beatrice let all of the third grade class go outside to the playground. She climbed the monkey bars upside down; the class considered this the best part of the day so far.

Blue-and-yellow Macaw by Dan at Gatorland

Then Beatrice and the class came back inside for science. This week was Botany. Because Beatrice used to live in the Amazon before coming to America to become the class pet, she was able to tell them all about the different plants in the jungle.

The last subject of the day was math. This was the students’ least favorite subject. Fortunately, the best Beatrice could do when it came to math was count to five, so it was going to be difficult teaching the class anything. The students didn’t mind, however. Beatrice would have to explain to Miss Kendall that they didn’t get much done.

When the class was dismissed they all told their parents when their parents picked them up how much fun they had, and Beatrice believed she had done a good job. She had the feeling that when she taught tomorrow it would be even better than the first day. And when Miss Kendall returned, she was surprised when the entire class asked if she could repeat jury duty again next week.

Lee’s Addition:

Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth, And makes us wiser than the birds of heaven?’ (Job 35:11 NKJV)

Thanks, Emma, for another delightful story. Birds are very capable of teaching us about their great Creator. Maybe not quite in a classroom like Beatrice, but still, they can be teachers to humans. Those who study birds and other animals, can see the Hand of God at work, if their eyes are open.

Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. (Proverbs 9:9-10 KJV)

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See more of Emma’s delightful stories

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Wordless Toucan

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Susie And The Water-skiing Contest

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Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) by Ian

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) by Ian

Susie And The Water-skiing Contest

~ by Emma Foster

High in North America, as summer was coming, there lived a flock of Canadian geese. They all lived together by a large lake. One of the Canadian geese was named Susie, and she loved to swim in the water every day.

On a particularly hot day, Susie was out on the water when she spotted a group of people in a boat. One person was driving the boat very quickly around the lake. Another person was holding onto a rope and riding along the water on a board of some kind.

Susie was very interested in this new sport she had discovered. She decided to call all of the geese together to watch the people.

When all of the geese had watched the people for a few minutes, they grew very excited. They decided to play the same game too, only they would have to build everything from scratch.

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) On Shed ©Flickr Darron Birgwnheler

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) On Shed ©Flickr Darron Birgwnheler

In an old shed in the backyard of one of the houses by the lake, Susie and the other geese found a long, thin piece of wood, an old rope, a canoe covered in cobwebs, and a few fishhooks. The geese shoved a hook into the back side of the boat and into the piece of wood, and tied the rope to both hooks. One goose sat down in the boat to direct it, four more geese stood behind the canoe to cast it off and push along in the water, and Susie stood on the piece of wood, bending down to hold the rope in her beak in case the hook came off. Another goose stood in the back of the boat to make sure that the hook in the boat did not come out either.

After taking off, the four geese started flying so that Susie was dragged behind them on the piece of wood. It took several attempts before Susie could stay on the board, but by the end of the day she was able to do a few tricks.

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) ©WikiC

The Four Canadian Geese and two friends that joined them. ©WikiC

The next day, one of the geese came back to announce he had seen a flyer for a water skiing contest at the end of the week at that very pond. Susie immediately decided that she and the other geese should enter. It was only Tuesday, so they had plenty of time to practice. Susie wanted to make sure she could pull off all of the tricks she had seen the people do when they were on the lake.

By that Friday, Susie and all of the other geese had had enough practice so that they were able to accomplish all of the tricks. The geese even invented some of their own.

On that Saturday Susie, the geese, and lots of different people met on the lake and the contest began. A few people went before Susie and the other geese. They were really good and were able to perform all kinds of tricks. Finally, it was Susie’s turn. She jumped onto the piece of wood while the other geese got to their positions.

"They Were Off" - Canada Goose ©Pixabay

“They Were Off” – Canada Goose ©Pixabay

Then they were off! Susie did her best to perform all of the tricks she had practiced. This time, she tried to jump higher in the air when she performed one. One of the tricks was when Susie did a flip in the air after jumping the ramp and flying for about ten feet. Once Susie had completed her routine, she skidded onto the grass sticking the landing perfectly. Everyone cheered.

At the end of the contest, a blue ribbon was awarded to Susie and the geese. From then on, Susie entered the contest every year, and she always kept the blue ribbon pinned to the back of the shed where they had found the piece of wood, hooks, rope, and canoe.

Lee’s Addition:

Thanks, Emma, for another great bird tale. You just keep improving and each one becomes your best. This is definitely one of “your best.”

The teamwork and ingenuity by that group of geese reminds me of these verses:

Now the company of believers was of one heart and soul, and not one of them claimed that anything which he possessed was [exclusively] his own, but everything they had was in common and for the use of all. (Acts 4:32 AMP)

O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. (Psalms 34:3 KJV)

And all that believed were together, and had all things common; (Acts 2:44 KJV)

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Emma Foster’s Other Tales

Guest Authors

Bird Tales

Canada Goose – Wikipedia

ABC’s of the Gospel

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George And The Happy New Year

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House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) by Ian

House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) by Ian

George and the Happy New Year

~ by Emma Foster

   In the countryside, where farms dotted the land along the hills and the only sounds that could be heard were birds chirping and cows mooing, there lived a small finch named George. He lived in a small red barn out in the countryside. George had built his nest up in the rafters where he could look down at all the other farm animals during the day. In the barn, he had a clear view out the window of the sky and the big city very far away.

New Year’s Day was drawing near, and every night for the past week, George and the other animals were kept up late because of all of the fireworks being set off outside the city. One night, George decided he would fly to the city. He had always wondered what people did on New Year’s Eve and how they celebrated the coming year. George figured the city was the perfect place for celebration.

That morning, on December thirty-first, George flew out the window while all the other farm animals were still sleeping, and began flying to the city.

House Finch Resting

House Finch Resting

The dirt road that stretched to the farm eventually turned into a gravel road as George flew farther on. He flew past many apple tree orchards and corn fields until the gravel road split off into two concrete roads. Here there were many different houses and stores.

Every now and then George would take a break from flying and land on a powerline. He was able to see how far he had to fly before arriving at the city.

By the time George could see large skyscrapers up ahead it was late evening. When he entered the city, he could see many other birds flying around looking for tall buildings to land on so they could see the celebration with a good point of view. George passed by lots of buildings, but none of them seemed good enough. He wanted to be able to see everything, including all the people celebrating.

Finally George spotted a large, shiny ball on top of a tall building in the middle of a busy street. Flying to it, he decided this would be the perfect place to watch the celebration because he could see throngs of people standing in the street below eagerly cheering. By then it was late at night, and George hoped he hadn’t missed much.

Times Square Ball

Times Square Ball

Landing on the ball, he watched the crowd, and he remarked how bright the ball was and wondered what it was for. Suddenly it started lowering and everyone began counting down from ten. When they all reached one, everyone cheered. George didn’t know why, but afterwards, everyone started to leave and call for taxis to take them home. George realized this must have been the celebration.

It was late in the afternoon when George arrived back at the farm, and all of the animals were eager to hear where he had been. George was glad to tell all the animals what he had seen, and of how people celebrated New Year’s Day. None of the animals ever understood exactly why people celebrated the day by counting backwards from ten, and George never understood what the huge ball was used for other than to go up and down.

The End

Lee’s Addition:

O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth. (Psalms 96:1 KJV)

Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord and joyfully celebrate His mighty acts, for great is the glory of the Lord. (Psalms 138:5 AMP)

What a celebration for George even if he didn’t quite figure out what it was all about. Thanks, Emma, for another great bird tale. Sounds like you must have stayed up and watched the celebration New Years Eve. At least you didn’t have to fly to see it.

You can see all of Emma’s other great articles here:

The Long Christmas Journey

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Rock Dove (Columba livia) ©Flickr Oleg Sidorenko

Rock Dove (Columba livia) ©Flickr Oleg Sidorenko

The Long Christmas Journey

~ by Emma Foster

Once there were two birds who lived in Portland, Oregon. Their names were Belinda and Steven and they were pigeons (a.k.a. Rock Doves).

Belinda and Steven lived on top of a stop-and-go light in the middle of a busy street where they had built their nest. They loved the city life so they didn’t mind all of the cars driving by, especially when they honked. They also didn’t mind all of the headlights that lit up the streets at night. Every day, Steven would fly through the city to search for food. And every day lots of cars would drive by.

Rock Dove (Columba livia) ©Flickr Edward Townend

Rock Dove (Columba livia) ©Flickr Edward Townend

As December drew near, it started to get colder. Eventually, snow started to fall. The more snow fell, the colder it became.

Belinda and Steven decided it was time for them to fly down south for the winter. They would spend Christmas down there just as they did every year. They both liked spending Christmas down where it was warm.

Rock Dove (Columba livia) ©Flickr Andrey

Rock Dove (Columba livia) ©Flickr Andrey

They started flying early the next morning because it was going to be a long journey to fly down south. As Belinda and Steven travelled, they were careful to not fly too high when they flew through the mountains because the tops of the mountains were cold and snowy. They flew past many mountains because Belinda and Steven were flying through the Rocky Mountains.

Rock Dove (Columba livia) ©Flickr Ingrid Taylar

Eventually, after several hours, Belinda and Steven reached Death Valley. It was nice and warm there. But Death Valley was a little too warm for them. Fortunately there was a group of road runners that gave them directions to Arizona. Belinda and Steven were already in eastern California so it wasn’t that long of a flight to get there.

Belinda and Steven were able to fly to Arizona and made it there by Christmas Eve. It was nice and warm and the desert was filled with cactuses. Belinda and Steven decorated a cactus with some Christmas decorations they had brought with them so the cactus looked festive.

Together, Belinda and Steven had a wonderful Christmas, and they didn’t even mind that it would still be a long trip back to Oregon. They would have to come back to Arizona next year.

The End

Rock Dove (Columba livia) ©Flickr Ken Slade

Rock Dove (Columba livia) ©Flickr Ken Slade

Lee’s Addition:

Storks, doves, swallows, and thrushes all know when it’s time to fly away for the winter and when to come back. But you, my people, don’t know what I demand. (Jeremiah 8:7 CEV)

Thanks, Emma, for telling us about your migrating Pigeon friends, Belinda and Steven. Smart birds for escaping the winter cold up there in the Northwest.

Keep up the great stories. We are all enjoying them and you a gaining quite a fan club. We are looking forward to more stories through this New Year. Happy New Year.

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See more of Emma Foster’s Stories

ABC’s of the Gospel

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A Vulture Thanksgiving

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A Vulture Thanksgiving

 by Emma Foster

Turkey Vulture Tree at Saddle Creek by Lee

Turkey Vulture Tree at Saddle Creek by Lee

Once, in a small town, there lived a dozen or so turkey vultures. Every day, they would all gather on high places like totem poles or electrical wires and look around for food. But it was during Thanksgiving break that all of the vultures that lived in the town gathered together to decide what to do for all of the people who didn’t have anything to eat for Thanksgiving.

They all gathered on top of a church steeple to discuss what they should do; people passing by thought all of the vultures on top of the church steeple were somewhat disturbing, especially since it was a Sunday.

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) by Ray

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) by Ray

Because there was a shortage of turkeys that year in the town (Reginald the Commander Turkey had been doing his job very well), the vultures all decided they would fly to another state to get the turkeys to bring to those who did not have much for Thanksgiving.

On Monday morning, the vultures woke up early and started flying east to Mississippi from Louisiana to another small town.

They all flew to a Wal-Mart in Mississippi and sneaked into the back room by a skylight. Of course, turkey vultures thought that good food was the kind that was dead. Each vulture picked up a turkey from the freezer to take home.

Turkey Vulture by Ian Montgomery

Turkey Vulture by Ian Montgomery

It was a bit difficult to fly home with a giant frozen turkey, but one by one the vultures flew out of Wal-Mart and began to fly back to Louisiana. It took them a long time to fly back from Mississippi, so by the time the vultures returned to Louisiana, it was Thanksgiving Eve.

Each of the vultures flew in different directions to different houses in several neighborhoods. They each set a turkey by the front door of the houses and rang the doorbell. Whenever someone opened the door, they would find a turkey with a little card attached to it that said “Happy Thanksgiving.” from TV.

The End

giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (Ephesians 5:20 NKJV)

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
(Colossians 3:17 NKJV)

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The Owl’s Book

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Western Barn Owls (Family Tytonidae) by Bob-Nan

Western Barn Owls (Family Tytonidae) by Bob-Nan

The Owl’s Book 

by Emma Foster

Once there was an owl that lived in the attic of a small bookstore in the countryside. The owl’s name was Art. He was a brown barn owl. He enjoyed living in the attic of the bookstore because he could observe the people coming and going in the bookstore and he could keep the mouse population under control.

Everyday Art would stare through a small hole in the ceiling to watch people buy books. There were different sized books, some of them being extremely thin and others the size of a dictionary or even larger. All different ages of people were in the bookstore too. Some were little children coming with their parents and some were very old.

Art became so used to staring at all of the people and all of the books that he began to learn how a book was actually written. He would often hear people reading out loud to their children.

Ink and Feather for Owl Book ©©

Ink and Feather for Owl Book ©©

One day Art decided to write his own book. At night, he flew into the supply room and borrowed a cup, paper, and ink. He used one of his feathers to dip in the ink and started writing.

Art wrote about what it was like living above a bookstore. He wrote about the strategies of catching mice, and also wrote a detailed commentary on the history of owls. When he finished, his book was over a hundred pages long. Art took it down to the checkout desk that night, and when the bookstore owner came in the next day and found Art’s book, he decided to read it. When he finished, the bookstore owner decided to publish it.

Eventually, Art’s book reached the bestsellers’ list and was placed in the window in the front of the store. No one ever knew who wrote the book titled “The Life of an Owl who Lives in a Bookstore.” To the end of Art’s days, no one ever knew who wrote the bestselling book because it only said “written by an owl.”

The End

Lee’s Addition:

Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book! (Job 19:23 KJV)

Well, we have another great story from our young budding author. Emma has been regularly helping to building our Bird Tales library. If you haven’t checked out her tales, check these out:

Emma Foster:

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Logan, Morgan, and Their Historical Nest

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Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) ©WikiC

Logan, Morgan, and Their Historical Nest ~ by Emma Foster

It was 1769 when a distinguished man came to a small plain with a few trees on a mountain and began building a house. In one of the trees, two bluebirds watched as the man oversaw the building of his house. This house was big and built with stone masons who were people who built and cut stone.

The house had white stone pillars and large stone steps in front of a long backyard. Farther down the hill was the plantation where the slaves worked.

The house would not be competed for a long time, and while it was being built, Logan and Morgan decided they would build their nest just like the house was being built.

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) Eggs ©WikiC

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) Eggs ©WikiC

Logan and Morgan started looking for long, thick sticks to stack together. They started building their nest in one of the trees near the slave’s kitchen. However, this was difficult because of how hard it was to keep the sticks standing straight up in the branches. Logan and Morgan took turns holding the sticks with their beaks while the other looked for more sticks.

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) by S Slayton

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) by S Slayton

Eventually, Logan and Morgan finally completed their nest. It wasn’t as grand as the house that was still being built, but the two bluebirds decided that the nest was perfect.

They raised their children in that nest and their children raised their children, until long after the house, called Monticello, was completed.

Montecello. House of Thomas Jefferson

Montecello. House of Thomas Jefferson

Eventually the distinguished man who had built the house died, but Logan and Morgan’s children and grandchildren still lived there. And every year hundreds of people would come to take a tour of that house because it belonged to one of the Presidents of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. Of course, Logan and Morgan never knew that fact.

The End

Lee’s Addition:

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. (Matthew 13:31-32 KJV)

Emma has now produced her first historical birdwatching tale. Thanks, Emma. Our young writer just turned 16 recently and has grown quite tall (5’11”) like her parents. We used to compare heights when she was shorter than me (4’10”), but now I have to look up at her. Not only has her height increased, but also her writing ability.

As a side note, her family visited Monticello this summer and actually watched some Eastern Bluebirds for some time in the trees there.

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Other stories by Emma Foster

Eastern Bluebird – Wikipedia

Wordless Birds

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