[Lee’s introduction: The current Acts & Facts from Institute for Creation Research has thisvery interesting articleby Dr. James J. S. Johnson, who formerly taught courses on ornithology, ecology, limnology, and other bioscience-related courses at Dallas Christian College.]
Sometimes the best defense is an offense, even when the “offense” is really a bold bluff. This tactic is valued in wartime, and when God uses this principle He deserves our reverent adn admiring appreciation.
America’s top-secret World War II “Ghost Army” used cleverness and technology to fool German forces by masking military vulnerabilities. Yet the main fakery they used wasn’t mere camouflage—the daring deception involved threat-reversal mimicry….
Such is ordinary life for the mourning dove (Zenaida macroura), which feeds on the ground and nests there or within shrubs, on buildings, or in trees—the same places where opportunistic and omnivorous rats, like Rattus rattus and Rattus norvegicus, roam for food. Consequently, dove eggs and hatchlings are sometimes vulnerable to prowling predatory rats.3 … [Click here to see the whole article.]
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? (Romans 11:33-34 KJV)
“But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have respect in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.” (Luke 14:10)
Orni-Theology
Is it really advantageous to be frequently noticed? Is having a “low profile” a prudent practice? Surely when someone gets a reputation, for being a “show-off”, the spotlight becomes a disadvantage.
When I was a teenager I was called “skinny as a rail”. Once I arrived at age 20, however, for some reason I stopped hearing that description. Of course, I blame my weight gain on getting married to a wonderful cook (who, for 3-dozen-plus years, has made eating an ongoing adventure!)! Actually, I am not too far from being double the weight that I had, 121 pounds, when I got married!
Hmmm – maybe exercise has something to do with it, too. It’s been a long time since someone said (of me), “he’s so skinny, if he turned sideways we couldn’t see him!” It is the literal truth that my wife has been with me “through thick and thin”.
So now we should consider something that Robert and Alice Lippson, both ecologists, have to say about being “skinny as a rail”.
“’As thin as a rail’—is it the narrow steel ribbon of a railroad track or the slim boards that make up a fence? Just where did that old saw come from, anyway? It pertains to certain members of the Rallidae family, the rails, which also includes coots and gallinules. The rails have thin, compressed bodies that allow them to thread their way through seemingly impenetrable thickets and literally to disappear into the marsh. … Rails are usually brown and patterned or mottled with white [feathers], while coots are slate or soot colored. Rails are found in the [Chesapeake] Bay wetlands year-round.”
[Quoting Alice Jane Lippson & Robert L. Lippson, LIFE IN THE CHESAPEAKE BAY: An Illustrated Guide to the Fishes, Invertebrates, Plants, Birds, and Other Inhabitants of the Bays and Inlets from Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras, 3rd Edition (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006), page 232.]
Perhaps the most prominent rail in the Chesapeake Bay region is the Marsh Hen, also called the “Clapper Rail” (Rallus crepitans, a/k/a Rallus longirostris), known for its harsh-sounding clattering vocalizations [klek-klek-klek-klek-klek] that almost sounds like rattling or rapid clapping.
The Clapper Rail is routinely found in salt marshes and some freshwater marshes on America’s East Coast, from Massachusetts to Florida, plus in wetlands bordering California’s inland Salton Sea, and even along the banks of the lower parts of the Colorado River. [See John Bull & John Farrand, Jr., NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY FIELD GUIDE TO NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS, EASTERN REGION, revised edition (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1994), page 455.]
Have I ever seen one? Probably not. But that’s not unusual, according to Lippson & Lippson, who say that hearing one is more likely than seeing one, especially due to their habit of being more active at night. [Lippson & Lippson, page 232.] But, if you do see a Clapper Rail, it might not realize you are watching!
“Clapper rails are secretive birds and are usually not seen unless forced off the reed floor by high tides. Then they are frequently seen along the edge of the marsh and even along nearby roads. Even though they are in the open and quite visible, clapper rails apparently think they are still in the marsh, unseen and safe. Like the least bittern, they are reluctant fliers and when flushed will make brief [airborne] sorties, legs dangling, then drop and disappear into the marsh vegetation. Curiously enough, rails are capable of making long migratory flights. The best way to ‘see’ a rail is with your ears: listen for the clattering “kek-kek-kek”, especially in the early evening and at dawn. The clapper rail is widely distributed throughout the [Chesapeake] Bay.” [Quoting Lippson & Lippson, page 232.]
So much for keeping a low profile, especially when perils are near! If you can be inconspicuous, it’s usually to your advantage, — but, if not, it’s good to have a Plan B (like the Clapper Rail’s getaway response) if you need one.
Meanwhile, don’t forget the lesson of Luke 14:10. Routinely assume that you should take a “low profile”. If you are directed “up” (i.e., promoted to a “higher” responsibility), so be it, — trusting God to guide you, use the “high profile” opportunity to honor God. Yet don’t forget: the Clapper Rail strategy has its merits – if you are inconspicuous you are less likely to become somebody’s target!
Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. (John 4:35 KJV)
The Zosteropidae – White-eyes Family is passerine birds that live in the tropical and subtropical Sub-Saharan Africa, Australasia and eastern Asia. White-eyes inhabit most tropical islands in the Indian Ocean, the western Pacific Ocean, and the Gulf of Guinea. There are currently 127 members in the family. Most are White-eyes, a Silvereye, a Blackeye, a Darkeye, 4 Speirops, 11 Yuhinas, and about a dozen Babblers.
Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis) by Ian
As their common name implies, many species have a conspicuous ring of tiny white feathers around their eyes. The scientific name of the group also reflects this latter feature, being derived from the Ancient Greek for “girdle-eye”. They have rounded wings and strong legs. Like many other nectivorous birds, they have slender, pointed bills, and brush-tipped tongues. The size ranges up to 15 cm (6 inches) in length. (Wikipedia)
Ian’s Bird of the Week – Tomtit ~ by Ian Montgomery
Newsletter – 10/30/15
Last week we had the Snares Penguin and I made a passing reference to the locally endemic race of the Tomtit, so here is it and two of the other four New Zealand races of the Tomtit as this week’s choice. It’s called a Tit after the European Tits family Paridae which includes the North American Chicadees) but it’s not one of these but an Australasian Robin (Petroicidae), which in turn were named after the European Robin but don’t belong to its family either (Muscicapidae). The Tomtit’s closest relative is the Pacific Robin (Petroica multicolor) which in turn is very close related the Scarlet Robin of Australia.
A friend of mine who is a member of the bird of the week club but not a birdwatcher as such expressed confusion over subspecies (or races) and species, so I Googled a couple of references which might be useful: 1. a simple explanation; 2. Wikipedia and 3. a more scholarly one. I talk about them a lot as I’m interested in the classification of birds (taxonomy) and their evolution and biogeography (how they got to where they are) so here is a brief description.
A (biological) species is the fundamental unit (‘taxon’) of the classification of organisms, both plants and animals. It’s fundamental in the sense that it is considered reproductively isolated (genetic differences are supposed to be such that interbreeding across species boundaries isn’t possible or at least doesn’t produce fertile offspring). From a bird-watching point of view, a species is what you add to lists, whether your life list, your national list, your annual list, your yard list, or your annual bird list… The possibilities are endless but in the competitive world of ‘twitching’, a species is as important as a referees decision about a goal or score in football or tennis.
Nothing in biology is ever quite so simple, so the differences between various taxonomic levels (species, genus, family, order … going up and species, subspecies going down) are really part of a continuum. At the lower levels – genus, species and sub-species – the degree of genetic separation and therefore reproductive isolation varies a lot. Some groups are particularly troublesome as apparently quite different ‘species’ have a taxonomically irritating tendency to hybridise. Among birds, the diving ducks of the genus Aythya come to mind and among plants the orchids are notorious for spreading their genes around. Subspecies or races (using the terms interchangeably) are usually geographically isolated so they don’t get the chance to interbreed and are usually sufficiently different to be identifiable in the field. That means if you’re a birdwatcher, you can make lists of them too…
The eighteen century Swedish scientist and physician Carl Linnaeus is regarded as the father of modern taxonomy as he invented the binomial – double-name – system that is still in use today. This was a century before Darwin, so Linnaeus was concerned, lucky man, with only degree of similarity. He classified types of organisms as belonging to a genus (‘family’ in Latin) represented by the first name, e.g. Anas (Latin for ‘duck’) and a species, e.g. platyrhychos (Greek for ‘broad-billed’) to name the Mallard and distinguish it from say the similar Gadwall, Anas strepera, where ‘strepera’ is derived from the Latin for ‘noisy’. There is no linguistic rule to prevent mixing of languages but adjectival species names usually agree in gender with the genus, something of a challenge when one name comes from Greek and the other from Latin.
Needless to say, taxonomists have added many levels since, but orders, families, genera and species are the most important. To accommodate races or subspecies a third name was added the binomial system making it trinomial. The first race of a species to be named is called the nominate race, and the name of the race, if any, must be the same as the name of the species. So the nominate race of the Tomtit Petroica macrocephala is Petroica macrocephala macrocephala(Petroica is Greek for ‘rock-dwelling’ and macrocephala is Greek for ‘big-headed’). Any additional subspecies described later will be called Petroica macrocephala somethingelse.
Sorry, that was supposed to be a brief description so let’s get back to Tomtits. The first two photos show the nominate race which occurs on the South Island of New Zealand. The male is black and white with a yellow breast; the female is grey-brown with a white belly. This pair was in an Antarctic Beech forest – quite Lord of the Rings – near Cascade Creek in Fiordland and both birds were busy feeding nestlings. The male has a juicy green caterpillar and a large mosquito in his bill.
The third and fourth photos are male and female examples of the Auckland Islands race marrineri on Enderby Island one of the Auckland Islands group. Both males are females are mainly black and white, the male being glossier with only a trace of yellow on the breast. The race is named after New Zealand biologist George Marriner who took part in the 1907 Sub-Antarctic Islands Scientific Expedition.
The Snares race dannefaerdi is the most distinctive, photos 5 and 6, with both sexes being completely black, the male again being glossier than the female. It is named after Sigvard Dannefaerd who was a Danish collector and photographer based in New Zealand and the original specimen was from his collection but ended up with the second Baron Rothschild who described it.
The little birds (sparrows) have places for themselves, where they may put their young, even your altars, O Lord of armies, my King and my God. (Psalms 84:3 BBE)
What cute little birds. I am glad the Lord saw fit to create birds in so many different sizes. Looks like Ian has been busy working on his website. I am sure he would appreciate you looking around again for his improvements.
Western Plantain-eater (Crinifer piscator) at Parrot Mountain
By them the birds of the heavens have their home; They sing among the branches. He waters the hills from His upper chambers; The earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works. (Psalms 104:12-13 NKJV)
The western plantain-eater (Crinifer piscator), also known as the grey plantain-eater or western grey plantain-eater, is a large member of the Turaco family, a group of large arboreal near-passerine birds restricted to Africa.
Western Plantain-eater (Crinifer piscator) at Parrot Mountain
This species is a resident breeder in open woodland habitats in tropical west Africa. It lays two or three eggs in a tree platform nest.
These are common, noisy and conspicuous birds, despite lacking the brilliant colours of relatives such as the violet turaco. They are 50 cm long, including a long tail. Their plumage is mainly grey above spotted with brown. The head, erectile crest, neck and breast are brown streaked with silver. The underparts are whitish, heavily streaked with brown.
Western Plantain-eater (Crinifer piscator) at Parrot Mountain
Western plantain-eater has a thick bright yellow bill, and shows a white wing bar in flight. The sexes are identical, but immatures have a black woolly head without silver streaking.
Western Plantain-eater (Crinifer piscator) at Parrot Mountain
This bird is similar to the closely related eastern plantain-eater. The latter species has white tail bars, and lacks the chest bars and dark wing feather shafts of its western relative. This species feeds on fruit, especially figs, seeds and other vegetable matter.
We first encountered this amazing bird created by the Creator at the Houston Zoo this past spring. Those were in an enclosure with the normal fences to try to photograph through. That is what made this visit to Parrot Mountain so special because we were in a free-flying aviary with them.
Western Plantain-eater (Crinifer piscator) Houston Zoo by Lee
Western Plantain-eater (Crinifer piscator) Houston Zoo
Western plantain-eater has a loud cow-cow-cow call, very familiar in west Africa. (Info from Wikipedia)
Here is a video I took of the birds in the aviary feeding. The Plantain-eater comes in at tries to intimidate the Cardinal and then starts his call. If you watch him/her, you will notice it seems to be afraid of that cardboard dish holding the fruit. Hence my chuckle. I’ll tell you more about those other birds later.
“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” (James 3:17-18 NKJV)
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. (Isaiah 40:8 KJV)
This poem was written by Jeanie Boyette several years ago. She recently joined our church and found out she likes to write poetry. When I asked if she had ever written about birds, this is the one she showed me. So, in the future maybe we can get her to write some more about our beautifully created avian wonders.
Here is our next avian group taxonomically, the Sylviidae – Sylvid Babblers Family. The Lord created these birds with a song to sing and some that are very colorful. Actually there are very few Babblers in the family. There are Blackcaps, various Warblers, Whitethroats, Fulvettas, Parrotbills plus a Myzornis and a Catbird.
Sylviidae is a family of passerine birds that was part of an assemblage known as the Old World warblers. The family was formerly a wastebin taxon with over 400 species of bird in over 70 genera. The family was poorly defined with many characteristics shared with other families. Advances in classification, particularly helped with molecular data, have led to the splitting out of several new families from within this group. Today the smaller family Sylviidae includes the typical warblers in the genus Sylvia, the parrotbills of Asia (formerly a separate family Paradoxornithidae), a number of babblers formerly placed within the family Timaliidae (which is itself currently being split) and the wrentit, an unusual North American bird that has been a longstanding taxonomic mystery.
There is now evidence that these Sylvia “warblers” are more closely related to babblers [Timaliidae], and thus these birds are better referred to as Sylvia babblers, or just sylvids.
Sylviids are small to medium-sized birds. The bill is generally thin and pointed with bristles at the base. Sylviids have a slender shape and an inconspicuous and mostly plain plumage. The wings have ten primaries, which are rounded and short in non-migratory species. (Wikipedia)
For thus says the LORD, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Whoformed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: “I am the LORD, and there is no other. (Isaiah 45:18 NKJV)
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Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (Matthew 6:30 NKJV)
Ian’s Bird of the Week – Snares Penguin ~ by Ian Montgomery
Newsletter – 10/23/15
Before we get on to this week’s bird – the Snares Penguin – here is a postscript on last week’s discussion on the boundary between Fuscous and Yellow-tinted Honeyeaters on the Atherton Tableland west of Cairns. Keith Fisher sent me this photo of a bird taken at Springvale Road in the Kaban area between Herberton and Ravenshoe in the western drier part of the Tableland (Chapter 14 in Where to Find Birds in Northern Queensland, hint, hint). He also sent me information from Lloyd Nielsen who has been studying these birds. It would be a brave person who would identify this bird on appearance alone and it seems that the matter will remain unresolved until someone does some DNA analysis. Thank you Keith.
Now for something completely different and for no other reason than I like penguins and so do most people. We saw various penguin species on the Sub-Antarctic Islands trip that we did in 2011 and here is one of two that hasn’t featured as bird of the week. The first island group that we reached after leaving Dunedin on the South Island of New Zealand was the Snares, an isolated group of islands with a total area of 340ha/840acres about 200km/125miles south of the South Island.
The Snares are of particular scientific and conservation value as, unlike other similar islands in the Southern Pacific they were left largely untouched by sealing and whaling and survive, vegetation intact in a fairly pristine state and have no mammalian predators. The Snares Penguin and the Snares Snipe are endemic species and there is an endemic race of the Fernbird and an all black-race of the Tomtit. The islands are of huge importance for nesting seabirds with 2 million pairs of Sooty Shearwaters and large numbers of Common Diving Petrels. Because of its conservation status – ‘minimum impact’ – we weren’t allowed to land but we cruised close by in Zodiacs in ideal weather conditions and saw all the bird species of interest except the Snipe.
There are about 25,000 pairs of Snares Penguins. The species is closely related to the Fiordland Penguin of the South Island of New Zealand and the Erect-crested of Bounty and Antipodes Islands, but has a much heavier bill (hence the name robustus) and pink skin between the bill and the cheek and throat so it usual now to treat all three as full species. Like all penguins, they are delightful to watch and be watched by and they are quite curious and popped up beside the Zodiac to have a good look.
They nest in colonies of up to 1,000 pairs mainly usually under trees or bushes, but sometimes in the open. There is continual traffic between the ocean and colonies which scours away any vegetation.
At the colony we visited, there was a favoured spot for launching into the water and all the seaweed had been worn away. The penguins would wait for a calm period between ocean swells and then dash after the most intrepid into the water.
Landing seemed to be done on a hope and a prayer and the birds would get washed up on the rocks and then scramble to safety. There were several landing spots and these still had seaweed, which presumably cushioned the birds from hard landings.
Snares Penguins lay a clutch of 2 eggs, and breeding success is about 40%. The population is thought to be increasing, though the species is classified as Vulnerable because it depends on a single location. After breeding the bird disperse in the ocean and are recorded as vagrants in mainland New Zealand and Tasmania. The birds take about 4 years to mature and live for about 20 years.
This bird of the week is a bit late as I’ve been busy this week finishing reformatting the ebook Diary of a Bird Photographer. I’ve made each bird of the week section start on a new page to prevent the separation of caption and content. The new version has now been uploaded to the Apple, Google and Kobo bookstores and is recognisable by a re-designed cover. If you have already purchased it, you should be able to upload the latest version from the store. The following cover image links to the Diary page on the Birdway website.
I’ve also been redesigning the website templates to make them more suitable for viewing on smart phones or tablets. The original design was for monitors a width of 1200 pixels, but we live in a more fluid world now. I’ve applied the new design to two families, and I’d be grateful if you could check them your devices and see if they behave: Stilts and Avocets and Barn Owls. I’ve tested them on iPhone and iPad using the browsers Safari and Chrome.
In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death. (Proverbs 14:26-27 NKJV)
Sounds like Ian has been quite busy, but I am thankful he took time to share those Snares Penguins with us. I didn’t pick up how they got their name, but this from Wikipedia explains it further.
“The Snares penguin (Eudyptes robustus), also known as the Snares crested penguin and the Snares Islands penguin, is a penguin from New Zealand. The species breeds on The Snares, a group of islands off the southern coast of the South Island.”
Wait on the LORD, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. (Psalms 37:34 NKJV)
While at the Parrot Mountain last week, we saw this Silvery-cheeked Hornbill (Bycanistes brevis). As one of my friend said, after seeing these photos, “that is an ugly bird.” Well, almost, but is beauty in the eye of the beholder? I am sure that from the eyes of another Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, it may not be.
The Silvery-cheeked Hornbill can grow up to two and half feet long and weigh two and three quarter pounds.
Have an average life span of 50 years.
Silvery-cheeked Hornbills eat by plucking a piece of fruit and tipping its head back to swallow it whole. They will eat berries, figs, palmnuts, as well as a variety of insects.
The Hornbill is one of the few birds that have eyelashes to shield them from sun and dust.
Silvery-cheeked Hornbill (Bycanistes brevis) Parrot Mtn by Lee
Also the Silvery-cheeked Hornbill are residents of the tall evergreen forest of east Africa from Ethiopia to South Africa.
Yet, in the Lord’s sight, this bird was created special and most likely fits right in with where it lives and what it does. What I haven’t shown you yet is that it is missing the tip of its beak. Most likely, that is why it is in captivity because it may not be able to obtain food in the wild.
Missing the tip of its beak
Silvery-cheeked Hornbill with missing tip of beak.
I was surprised by how many verses that mention the words “cut off.” There are 200 verses in the NKJV. Even the verse where Peter cut off the ear of the servant, but Jesus healed him by putting back on. Only the Creator could have done that. Many mention enemies or sinners being cut off. Also, not being cut off if you are righteous and one of His saints.
For the LORD loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, And dwell in it forever. The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, And his tongue talks of justice. The law of his God is in his heart; None of his steps shall slide. The wicked watches the righteous, And seeks to slay him. The LORD will not leave him in his hand, Nor condemn him when he is judged. Wait on the LORD, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. (Psalms 37:28-34 NKJV)
Missing heaven and not spending eternity with the Lord Jesus Christ would be a terrible tragedy. I trust you will not be cut off with the wicked and that you know the Lord as your personal Savior. Accepting the Lord Jesus was the best decision I ever made in my life.
Salmon-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) at Parrot Mtn by Lee
“So God created … every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:21 NKJV)
Here are a few photos of the Salmon-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) or Mouccan Cockatoo, as they call it, at the Parrot Mountain in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. On their brochure they have “In the Beginning GOD Created All Things” and “Hundreds of Tropical Birds in a Garden of Eden Surrounding.” It is a very enjoyable place to visit. The landscaping is very pretty and colorful. More about that in another post. It is very much Christian oriented.
“The salmon-crested cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) also known as the Moluccan cockatoo, is a cockatoo endemic to the south Moluccas in eastern Indonesia. They are members of the Cacatuidae – Cockatoos Family. At a height of up to 46–52 cm and weight of up to 850 g, it is among the largest of the white cockatoos. The female is larger than the male on average. It has white-pink feathers with a definite peachy glow, a slight yellow on the underwing and underside of the tail feathers and a large retractable recumbent crest which it raises when threatened, revealing hitherto concealed bright red-orange plumes to frighten potential attackers. It may also be raised in excitement or in other ’emotional’ displays. Some describe the crest as “flamingo-colored.” It also has one of the louder calls in the parrot world and in captivity is a capable mimic.
Salmon-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) at Parrot Mtn by Lee
In the wild the salmon-crested cockatoo inhabits lowland forests below 1000 m. The diet consists mainly of seeds, nuts and fruit, as well as coconuts, and also eats Meat. There is additional evidence that they eat insects off the ground, and pet Moluccan cockatoos have tested positive for anemia if their diet does not include enough protein.
Salmon-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) at Parrot Mtn by Lee
For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. (James 3:7 NKJV)
The salmon-crested cockatoo can no longer be imported into the United States because it is listed on the Wild Bird Conservation Act. However, they are being bred in captivity. They are popular for their beauty and trainability (which makes them popular in trained bird shows). The salmon-crested cockatoo is widely considered to be one of the most demanding parrots to keep as a pet due to their high intelligence, large size, potential noise level, and need to chew. Moluccan cockatoos require a very large and very sturdy cage or aviary. Salmon-crested cockatoos are highly social and pets can be extremely cuddly, affectionate, and gentle birds.” (Wikipedia)
The photos are shown in the sequence taken. Dan was enjoying scratching its head.
Salmon-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) at Parrot Mtn by Lee
Salmon-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) at Parrot Mtn by Lee
Salmon-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) at Parrot Mtn by Lee
Salmon-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) at Parrot Mtn by Le
Salmon-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) at Parrot Mtn by Lee
Salmon-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) at Parrot Mtn by Lee
Salmon-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) at Parrot Mtn by Lee
Salmon-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) at Parrot Mtn by Lee
Salmon-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) at Parrot Mtn by Lee
Salmon-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) at Parrot Mtn by Lee
Salmon-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) at Parrot Mtn by Lee
Salmon-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) at Parrot Mtn by Lee
Salmon-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) at Parrot Mtn by Lee
Salmon-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) at Parrot Mtn by Lee
Salmon-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) at Parrot Mtn by Lee
Salmon-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) at Parrot Mtn by Lee
Sumatran Laughingthrush (Garrulax bicolor) by Dan at Wing of Asia ZM
A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones. (Proverbs 17:22 NKJV)
Every since we saw Laughingthrushes for the first time at Zoo Miami’s Wing of Asia aviary, I fell in love with these birds. The photo above is the one I like to call “Joe Cool.” Their “sunglasses” makes them look rather “Cool” don’t you think? They are fun to watch and most of them like to hop around instead of walking.
(Black and White) Sumatran Laughingthrush (Garrulax bicolor) by Lee “Joe Cool”
The Laughingthrush Family, called Leiothrichidae, has 133 species and is our next passerine family. Actually there was a Sunday Inspiration about them previously. Sunday Inspiration – Laughingthrush
The Laughingthrushes are the genus Garrulax of the large Old World babbler family of passerine birds. They occur in tropical Asia, with the greatest number of species occurring in the Himalaya and southern China.
These are rangy, medium-sized, floppy-tailed landbirds with soft fluffy plumage. These birds have strong legs and are quite terrestrial. This group is not strongly migratory, and most species have short rounded wings, and a weak flight.
Streaked Laughingthrush (Garrulax lineatus) by Nikhil Devasar
A few, like the Streaked Laughingthrush occur in fairly open habitats, but most are jungle species, difficult to observe in the dense vegetation they prefer.
Like other babblers, these are noisy birds, and the characteristic laughing calls are often the best indication that these birds are present. As with other babbler species, they frequently occur in groups of up to a dozen, and the rainforest species like the Ashy-headed Laughingthrush often occur in the mixed feeding flocks typical of tropical Asian jungle. (Wikipedia)
Red-tailed Laughingthrush (Trochalopteron milnei) by Lee
Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us, And we are glad. Bring back our captivity, O LORD, As the streams in the South. Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him. (Psalms 126:2-6 NKJV)
Mountains from the Tuckaleechee Retreat Center Lodge
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1Jn 1:7)
We just spent four nights at the at Tuckaleechee Retreat Center in Townsend, Tennessee. They call it “Fellowship in the Smokies.” We were at the edge of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, near Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. Those two towns are very “tourist” minded and have many attractions that have little to do with the beauty of the area. It is hard to see the commercialization of such a beautiful area created by Our Lord.
The Tuckaleechee Retreat Center is the national headquarters of the Children’s Bible Ministry. They open up a couple of weeks this time of the year for visitors, like a big group (13 couples) from our church and a few from other churches. We are fed a fantastic breakfast, have an informative time and then are free for the rest of the day.
Stream on Roaring Fork Nature Drive
Dan and I went into Gatlinburg to the Roaring Fork Auto Nature Dive to see some birds. One turkey seen, one Pileated Woodpecker heard, and a small waterfall later, we finished the drive.
Cars and people were everywhere and needless to say, we were somewhat disappointed.
Back at the Lodge, we had great fellowship with our friends and some new ones we met. We ate out at some nice restaurants with our friends and just had a relazing and enjoyable time.
The roads are very curvy in the mountains and I said, “I’m not going back over those mountains into Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge again.” It was hurting my back somewhat.
Stream through the park – SMNP by Lee
The next morning, I was told about Parrot Mountain, with lots of Parrots. Other birds also. Run by Christian people and from a “Christian Perspective.” Have you ever heard of “eating crow”? Well, I swallowed my words and went. :) Am I glad we went.
You will have to wait until we arrive home in a few hours. Then I can get the photos ready. I have had the blog on “auto-pilot” this week and am glad WordPress lets us schedule articles for the future. (The only day not scheduled was this one.)
Taken Friday morning before we all left.
Fellowship in the Smokies — at Tuckaleechee Retreat Center.
