Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) by Daves BirdingPix
The other day while I was filling my gas tank, I looked up and spotted a Hawk flying overhead. He (or she) kept flying back and forth slowly. I have no clue as to what kind of hawk it was, but wondered which verses mentions the hawk? We have written about hawks many times here on the blog, and know it is one of the Birds of the Bible.
Job 39:26 is a great verse that asks a very thought-provoking question.
“Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south?” (KJV)
I have Bible Gateway loaded on my computer and brought up that verse and asked to show all the various Bible versions. Looking through the various ways of asking or questioning God about His hawks was interesting. As I read through the various versions, it makes us realize how little we know about The Creator’s Wisdom.
Raptor Bird of Prey, Juvenile Red Tailed Hawk profile, William Wise
“Was it through your know-how that the hawk learned to fly, soaring effortlessly on thermal updrafts? Did you command the eagle’s flight, and teach her to build her nest in the heights, Perfectly at home on the high cliff face, invulnerable on pinnacle and crag? From her perch she searches for prey, spies it at a great distance. Her young gorge themselves on carrion; wherever there’s a roadkill, you’ll see her circling.”
“Whether an hawk spreading abroad his wings to the south, beginneth to have feathers by thy wisdom? (Be it by thy wisdom that a hawk haveth feathers, and spreadeth his wings towards the south?)”
I’m very thankful that the Lord instructs the Hawks do spread their wings and come down here to Florida!! Especially in the winter!!
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) by AestheticPhotos
“As an eagle stirs up its nest, Hovers over its young, Spreading out its wings, taking them up, Carrying them on its wings,”
(Deuteronomy 32:11 NKJV)
Bald Eagles (from the above article)
“Although Benjamin Franklin once disparaged (possibly in jest) the bald eagle’s “bad moral character,” America’s national bird upholds a high standard for family life by (mostly) remaining faithful. Following a kamikaze courtship ritual in which two birds lock talons and tumble end-over-end until they nearly hit the ground, the male and female settle into a period of domestic bliss marked by dad’s willingness to undertake incubation and feeding duties. The “divorce” rate for these birds is less than 5%, according to scientists. And while they spend large chunks of the year alone, bald eagles mark their fidelity with a shared long-term commitment to nest building: One such home put together by an eagle couple in Florida was found to measure 9.5 feet long and 20 feet deep. It holds the record for the largest bird’s nest ever documented.” (The largest bird’s nest was built by a pair of bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), and possibly their successors, near St Petersburg, Florida, USA and measured 2.9 m (9 ft 6 in) wide and 6 m (20 ft) deep. It was examined in 1963 and was estimated to weigh more than two tonnes (4,409 lb).)
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) by Aesthetic Photos
Atlantic Puffins
Atlantic Puffins by Bill Boothe, MD in the Isle of Mull Scotland
“And the LORD God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered.” (Jonah 4:6-7 NKJV)
Jonah was angry and the Lord kept showing him compassion in this chapter. I am very thankful that the Lord shows us compassion.
While eating supper, a couple of Mottled Ducks came up in the yard looking for food. Normal situation as many ducks and other birds come to the feeders. Yet, this is the first Mottled Duck this fall. They migrate down for the winter and we were surprised to see them already.
Working on the Birdwatching Thru the Bible series for posts gave me an idea. Wonder if I could start with a known bird, a.k.a. Mottled Duck, and find a reference to them in the Bible? Sort of reverse Birds of the Bible.
After searching for “Duck” and other birds of that sort, Quess what? NO RESULTS! Then I went to All About Birds – Mottled Duck to check its scientific name.
Not to be detoured, I went back to the scriptures, and sure enough, they are in there.
“So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, AND EVERY WINGED BIRD ACCORDING TO ITS KIND. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” So the evening and the morning were the fifth day.” (Genesis 1:21-23 NKJV)
Notice it said they were to “Be fruitful and multiply.” Come this winter when the “snowbirds” or “winter visiting birds” come down, we will notice their fruitfulness.
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks across the pond in winter.
Is there a “correct” way to go birdwatching in the Bible? I doubt it. You can start with a verse in the Bible that talks about a specific bird or see a bird and try to find it mentioned in the Bible. Either way, you will discover the Great Creator of birds and His many promises to them and to us.
For the last 7 days I have reposted the very first attempts at Sandra Connor’s challenge back in 2016. I trust you enjoyed viewing (or re-viewing them).
Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) by Robert Scanlon
Sandra’s Challenge was for three weeks, and we completed that. If you remember the Looking Back and Looking Ahead post in August, my birdwatcher adventures have slowed down, but the desire to continue the blog is still active. After reviewing these first 7 post, I thought I’d do some more new ones. Quess What? I realized that there have been a whole lot of these posted since that challenge. There went that Idea!! :)
But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:14-17 KJV)
With prayer and review of past posts, there will be a “new/old” set of articles coming out. While I’m working on that, thought you might enjoy seeing more of the previous one word – seven word posts. Stay tuned!
Green-breasted Mango (Anthracothorax prevostii) by Judd Patterson
Wonders Which You Have Done
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Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done, And Your thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, They would be too numerous to count.
(Psalms 40:5 NASB)
Green-breasted Mango (Anthracothorax prevostii) by Judd Patterson
The Frigatebirds belong to the Fregatidae Family and only have one genus, the Fregata. There are five species, the Ascension, Christmas, Magnificent, Great, and the Lesser Frigatebirds.
Frigatebirds (also listed as “frigate bird”, “frigate-bird”, “frigate”, frigate-petrel”) are found across all tropical and subtropical oceans. The five extant species are classified in a single genus, Fregata. All have predominantly black plumage, long, deeply forked tails and long hooked bills. Females have white underbellies and males have a distinctive red gular pouch, which they inflate during the breeding season to attract females. Their wings are long and pointed and can span up to 2.3 metres (7.5 ft), the largest wing area to body weight ratio of any bird.
Lesser Frigatebird (Fregata ariel) immature by Ian
Able to soar for weeks on wind currents, frigatebirds spend most of the day in flight hunting for food, and roost on trees or cliffs at night. Their main prey are fish and squid, caught when chased to the water surface by large predators such as tuna. Frigatebirds are referred to as kleptoparasites as they occasionally rob other seabirds for food, and are known to snatch seabird chicks from the nest. Seasonally monogamous, frigatebirds nest colonially. A rough nest is constructed in low trees or on the ground on remote islands. A single egg is laid each breeding season. The duration of parental care is among the longest of any bird species; frigatebirds are only able to breed every other year.
Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus) by W Kwong
The Gannets and Boobies make up the Sulidae Family. The bird family Sulidae comprises the gannets and boobies. Collectively called sulids, they are medium-large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish and similar prey. However, Sula (true boobies) and Morus (gannets) can be readily distinguished by morphological and behavioral and DNA sequence characters. Abbott’s booby (PapaIt appears to be a distinct and ancient lineage, maybe closer to the gannets than to the true boobies. There are 10 species. The Morus genus has three species, the Northern, Cape and Australasian Gannets.
Abbott’s Booby (Papasula abbotti) by Ian
The Papasula genus consists of only the Abbott’s Booby.
Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) by Bob-Nan
The rest of the Boobies are in the Sula genus. They are the Blue-footed Booby [a favorite], Peruvian Booby, Masked Booby, Nazca Booby, Red-footed Booby [another favorite], and the Brown Booby. [Wikipedia, with editing]
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“Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.” (Psalms 17:5 KJV)
“My Faith Still Holds” ~ Faith Baptist Church Orchestra
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(Sunday Inspiration – Frigatebirds, Gannets and the Booby was originally posted in 2017)
It’s A Wrap – New Jerusalem’s Twelve Foundation Stones II.
“10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; 20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.” (Revelation 21:10, 18-20)
On February 16th, (2019) this journey or series was started. The last foundational stone, Amethyst, was introduced on April 11th. Trust you have enjoyed this series as much as I did putting it together. For those of you who have followed along, are you as amazed as I am about how beautiful the foundations of the New Jerusalem are going to be? Wow!
What was presented is no way near as beautiful as what we will be seeing in person. It was a human attempt to try to present these gorgeous stones and our fabulously Created Avian Wonders from our Lord. Here is a review of what the different stones are and the articles that went with this series.
Amethyst Woodstar (Calliphlox amethystina) by Dario Sanches male
Will you be there to see the glorious event happen?
“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.” (Revelation 21:1-6 NKJV)
(This is a repost of Heaven’s New Jerusalem and Birds. The series originally appeared in 2019. (With a little dusting and updating they were all reposted. Tomorrow. Lord willing, we will wrap this series up. Stay tuned.)
Here are the links to the new posts of the New Jerusalem and Birds II in the order of the foundations. I accidentally posted some of them out of order.
“10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones.”
The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
NORTHERN FLICKER (red-shafted form) photo credit: Evergreen State College
“20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.”
“21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.” (KJV) [Yes, pearls are not stones]
(This is a repost of Heaven’s New Jerusalem and Birds – Amethyst. The series originally appeared in 2019. With a little dusting and updating they will all be reposted in the coming days. Stay tuned.)
Amethyst Woodstar (Calliphlox amethystina) by Dario Sanches male
“The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, …. the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.” (Revelation 21:19a-20 NKJV)
We have finally arrived at the last of the precious stones that will makeup the twelve foundations of New Jerusalem. I trust you have enjoyed finding out about these stones and birds that are similar in color or name. There have been many close matches and some where I missed trying to figure out what to use. Yet, you still had a chance to meet some beautiful and interesting birds from our Creator.
Amethyst It is a pale-blue crystallized quartz, varying to a dark purple blue. It is found in Persia and India, also in different parts of Europe. [Easton Bible Dictionary]
Amethyst. (Hebrew, achlamah). A subspecies of quartz of a bluish-violet color. Mention is made of this precious stone, which formed the third in the third row of the high priestly breastplate, in Exo_28:19; Exo_39:12. It occurs also in Rev_21:20.
Amethyst (Gr.: amethustos)—its color is purple. Although the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia lists it as a ruby, Robertson gives the color as purple. [J. Vernon McGee]
(This is a repost of Heaven’s New Jerusalem and Birds – Sardius. The series originally appeared in 2019. (With a little dusting and updating they will all be reposted in the coming days. Stay tuned.)
“The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, …. the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.” (Revelation 21:19a-20 NKJV)
Green-honeycreeper by Wilds
We are now up to the tenth precious stone layer of the New Jerusalem. Wow!! So far, all the colors of the stones and birds have been beautiful. And remember, the colors we have been showing, will be so much more spectacular in heaven!
Fruit Green Apple
Green Apples
Chrysoprase (n.) An apple-green variety of chalcedony, colored by nickel. It has a dull flinty luster, and is sometimes used in jewelry.
Golden-fronted Leafbird (Chloropsis aurifrons) by Nikhil Devasar
Chrysoprasus Golden leek, a precious stone of the colour of leek’s juice, a greenish-golden colour (Rev_21:20). [Easton’s Bible Dict.]
While searching the Birds of the World database, the first part of this stone’s name, “chrysop” listed many birds with a yellow color, but none with Chrysoprase. So, enjoy the birds, whether are a perfect match or not. All 10,700 plus of the birds are a fantastic gift for us from their Creator.
Lee's Birdwatching Adventures Plus 