Category Archives: Creation Science

Cormorants are Great; Great Cormorants are Really Great!

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Cormorants are Great; Great Cormorants are Really Great!

Dr. James J. S. Johnson

“But the cormorant [shalak] and the bittern shall possess it [i.e., the land of Idumea, a/k/a Edom]; the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it; and He [i.e., the LORD, in judgment] shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, and the stones of emptiness.“

Isaiah 34:11
GREAT CORMORANTS in flight (Minnesota)
photo credit: Bryce Gaudian

In some contexts, CORMORANTS are not deemed as indicators of blessing — as in Isaiah 34;11, where it is prophetically mentioned as an indicator that the land of Edom is catastrophically destroyed. However, in many other contexts, these magnificent birds are recognized as wonderful creatures whom God has equipped to live by bodies of water, both freshwater and seawater.

GREAT CORMORANT aloft (Minnesota)
photo credit: Bryce Gaudian

Cormorants love to live by bodies of water. Cormorants are found busy hunting — darting (befitting the Hebrew noun shalak, in Leviticus 11:17 & Deuteronomy 14:17, translated “cormorant”, which matches the darting-like targeting movements) for food over and near coastlines, including the coasts of islands, such as the Hebridean isle of Staffa, which was reported earlier (on this Christian birdwatching blog), in the report titled “Birdwatching at Staffa: Puffins, Shags, and more”, posted at https://leesbird.com/2019/07/22/birdwatching-at-staffa-puffins-shags-more/ (July 22nd A.D.2019), citing Isaiah 42:12. [Regarding “cormorants” in the Holy Bible, see George S. Cansdale, ALL THE ANIMALS OF THE BIBLE LANDS (Zondervan, 1976), at page 175.]

Cormorants constitute a large “family” of birds; the mix of “cousins” include Crowned Cormorant (Phalacrocorax coronatus), Brandt’s Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus), Galapagos Cormorant (Phalacrocorax harrisi), Bank Cormorant (Phalacrocorax neglectus), Neo-tropic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus), Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus), Indian Cormorant Phalacrocorax fuscicollis), Socotra Cormorant (Phalacrocorax nigrogularis), Cape Cormorant (Phalacrocorax capensis), Guanay Cormorant (Phalacrocorax bougainvillii, a/k/a Guanay Shag), Kerguelen Shag (Phalacrocorax verrucosus), Imperial Shag (Phalacrocorax atriceps), Antarctic Shag (Phalacrocorax bransfieldensis). South Georgia Shag (Phalacrocorax georgianus), Campbell Island Shag (Phalacrocorax campbelli), New Zealand King Shag (Phalacrocorax carunculatus), Bronze Shag (Phalacrocorax chalconous), Chatham Island Shag (Phalacrocorax onslowi), Auckland Island Shag (Phalacrocorax colensoi), Rock Shag (Phalacrocorax magellanicus), Bounty Island Shag (Phalacrocorax ranfurlyi), Red-faced Cormorant (Phalacrocorax urile, a/k/a Red-faced Shag), European Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis), Pelagic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pelagicus, a/k/a Pelagic Shag), Red-legged Cormorant (Phalacrocorax gaimardi), Spotted Shag (Phalacrocorax punctatus), Pied Cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius), Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), Japanese Cormorant (Phalacrocorax capillatus), Olivaceous Cormorant (Phalacrocorax olivaceus, a/k/a Mexican Cormorant), and Pitt Island Shag (Phalacrocorax featherstoni).

That’s a lot of cormorant “cousins”, worldwide! [For details on each of these “cousins”, see pages 116-136 of Jim Enticott & David Tipling, SEABIRDS OF THE WORLD: THE COMPLETE REFERENCE (Stackpole Books, 1997).]

Notice: Cormorants are not anhingas!

To distinguish these 2 large black fish-loving birds, see “Of Cormorants and Anhingas” (June 13th A.D.2019), posted at https://leesbird.com/2019/06/13/of-cormorants-and-anhingas/ .

SHAG (a type of Cormorant), at Staffa, Hebrides (Scotland)
photo credit: Public Insta

Cormorants are famous “fishermen” along ocean coastlines, yet cormorants also thrive in inland freshwater habitats, such as over and near ponds and lakes, such as the Double-crested Cormorants that frequent inland ponds in Denton County, Texas, where they catch “fish of the day”.

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT with fish
photo credit: Bruce J. Robinson

Cormorants are generally described, by ornithologist Roger Tory Peterson, as follows:

Large, blackish, slender-billed water birds. Often confused with loons, but tail longer, bill hook-tipped. In flight, wing action is more rapid and axis of body and neck is tilted upward slightly (loon’s neck droops). Young birds are browner, with a pale or whitish breast. Flocks [of cormorants] fly in line or wedge formation very much like geese but they are silent. Cormorants often perch in upright positions on buoys or posts with neck in an S [posture]; sometimes strike a “spread eagle” pose. Swimming, they lie low like loons, but with necks more erect and snakelike, and bills tilted upward at an angle. Food: Fish (chiefly non-game). Nearly cosmopolitan [in range].

[Quoting Roger Tory Peterson, cited below]

[See Roger Tory Peterson, A FIELD GUIDE TO THE BIRDS OF TEXAS AND ADJACENT STATES (Houghton Mifflin, 1988), page 10.]

Specifically, the Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritis) is perhaps the most common winter migrant of the cormorants; also, the Double-crested Cormorant is often seen in the coastline areas of Texas’ Gulf of Mexico shores.

GREAT CORMORANTS descending (Minnesota)
photo credit: Bryce Gaudian

Have you ever watching a silhouetted cormorant — or two — or three — winging their way across the late afternoon sky? It is a wonder to behold!

GREAT CORMORANTS silhouetted against the sky
photo credit: Bryce Gaudian

Now, try to imagine a dozen, or more, cormorants, flying in series. That’s a wondrous wonder to behold! That constitutes one of the “wonders without number” that Scripture refers to (in Job 9:10).

serial “line” of GREAT CORMORANTS in flight (Texas)
photo credit: Bryce Gaudian

And now here is my closing limerick, about cormorants:

APPRECIATING HUMBLE CORMORANTS (AND SHAGS)

Cormorants are not known to brag,

If they’re so-called, or called “shag”;

They oft fly, in a line,

And on fish, they oft dine —

But cormorants aren’t known to brag.

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS perching on posts
photo credit: Mark Eising Birding

(Dr. Jim Johnson formerly taught ornithology and avian conservation at Dallas Christian College, among other subjects, and he has served as a naturalist-historian guest lecturer aboard 9 international cruise ships, some of which sailed in seawaters frequented by cormorants and shags. Jim was introduced to Christian birdwatching as an 8-year-old, by his godly 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Thelma Bumgardner.)

Yellow-headed Blackbirds: Not Attracted to Life on the Shallow Side

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Yellow-headed Blackbirds: Not Attracted to Life on the Shallow Side

Dr. James J. S. Johnson

Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.

(James 4:8a)
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD perching
(Photo credit: Bryce Gaudian)

Yellow-headed Blackbirds [Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus] remind me of our need to stay close to God. That takes a bit of explaining, but there is actually a simple connection between staying close to God and the behavior of Yellow-headed Blackbirds (when then gather on the edge of a cattail-encompassed pond).

Yellow-headed Blackbirds are found in marshy areas west of the Mississippi River.

YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD pair
(Photo credit: Bryce Gaudian)

Male much larger than the female; head, neck, and upper breast bright yellow, blackish elsewhere; and conspicuous white markings on the wings. Female duller and lighter, yellow on the chest, throat, and face, no white marks. … Visiting a [yellow-headed blackbird] colony in a marsh or slough in spring is an exciting experience. Some males are always in display flight, with head stooped, feet and tail drooped, wings beating in a slow accentuated way. Some quarrel with neighbors over boundaries while others fly out to feed.

[William A. Niering, WETLANDS (New York, NY: Chanticleer Press / National Audubon Society Nature Guides, 1998), page 600.]
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD perching
(Photo credit: Bryce Gaudian)

The first time, that I saw Yellow-headed Blackbirds, was in Jackson Hole, Wyoming — near the base of the Grand Teton Mountains, not far from the Snake River (and also not far from Yellowstone National Park). It was summer, yet the temperatures were mild — even relatively cool — especially if compared to the scorching hot summers of Texas.

YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD in flight
(photo credit: Bryce Gaudian)

Thus, as part of a working/family vacation — that combined family vacation time (in Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park) with attending a Continuing Legal Education seminar for federal bankruptcy litigators — I was able to enjoy many hours of wildlife viewing (including wonderful birdwatching, plus bull moose — but that’s another story!) in that beautiful part of western Wyoming.

YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD in cattails
(photo credit: Bryce Gaudian)

There was a ponded area near the Jackson Hole visitors’ center, and the ponded area featured flourishing cattails (a wetland plant mentioned in a previous blogpost, “Red-winged Blackbirds: Marsh-loving Icterids”, posted at https://leesbird.com/2023/07/28/red-winged-blackbirds-marsh-loving-icterids/ ). Interestingly the cattail-fringed pond-shore had many perching blackbird “neighbors”; some were red-winged and others were yellow-headed.

Pond-marsh near Jackson Hole visitors’ center
(photo credit: Lee & Mary Benfield / Gypsies @ Heart)

Yet there was a noticeable pattern — most of the perching blackbirds, closer into the pond-marsh waters, were yellow-headed, in contrast to the redwings who perched farther away from the wetland pond-shoreline, on the shallower sides of the pond-marsh waters.

This group behavior observation is corroborated by a report posted on the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) website:

The yellow-headed blackbird and red-winged blackbird are often found in the same habitat in the western United States, but yellow-headed blackbirds [being robin-sized] are the larger, more dominant species. They generally nest in deeper water near the center of larger wetlands, while red-winged blackbirds nest along the edges in shallower water.

[ National Wildlife Federation, posted at http://www.nwf.org ]
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD perching
(Photo credit: Bryce Gaudian)

This observation is not a new one — see my earlier blogpost “Yellow-headed and Red-winged Blackbirds: Living on the Inside or the Outside?” (posted at https://leesbird.com/2014/08/04/yellow-headed-and-red-winged-blackbirds-living-on-the-inside-or-the-outside/ ).

So, reconsider the observation made by the NWF author, above:  Yellowheads “generally nest in deeper water near the center of larger wetlands”, while redwings “nest along the edges of shallower [i.e., more peripheral] water”.  In other words, Yellow-headed Blackbirds congregate closer in, while Red-winged Blackbirds settle farther out.

YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD in marsh vegetation
(photo credit: Roads End Naturalist)

Ornithologist Ellen Horowitz, of the Flathead Audubon Society, gives a more detailed description of this habitat-sharing dynamic, between Yellow-headed blackbirds and their redwing cousins:

Yellow-headed Blackbirds, larger than their red-winged cousins, dominate in areas where both are present. Redwing Blackbirds appear early in spring and exploit all areas of a marsh until the yellow-heads arrive. Territorial interactions between the two are an easily observed bird behavior that is part of the springtime ritual at a marsh. Yellow-headed Blackbirds take over the prime real estate, often located near the center of large wetlands, and oust the redwings to shallower water near the edges.

Nesting colonies of Yellow-headed Blackbirds are found where dense cattails and bulrushes grow in two to four feet of water and where insect life is rich. Some colonies contain as many as 25 to 30 nests within a 15 square foot area. Each adult male stakes his claim within the larger framework of the colony. A polygynous breeder, he mates with several females who nest within his defended territory. The female weaves long strands of wet vegetation around cattails or other tall aquatic plants to form her nest. As the basket-like structure dries, it pulls the supports taught. The location of a nest ranges from 10 to 30 inches above the water. Deep water protects the nest and its occupants from prowling predators — skunks, raccoons and foxes. Tall, thick vegetation hides them from northern harriers and other birds of prey.

During the breeding season, the diet of yellow-headed blackbirds consists primarily of insects and spiders. The birds glean them from the ground, plants, or hawk them from the air. Seeds, including grain, form a major portion of their diet during the rest of the year. Like all Icterids, the yellow-head has a strong, straight, pointed bill and powerful muscles that control its opening and closing. After inserting its bill into the ground or matted vegetation, the yellow-head spreads its bill, which presses against the surrounding substrate to form a cavity. The behavior, known as “gaping,” allows access to hidden food sources.

Yellow-headed blackbirds feed in freshly plowed lands, cultivated fields and pastures during migration. Although they cause some damage to agricultural crops by pulling up seedlings and eating grain, the insects and weed seeds they consume prove more beneficial than harmful.

[ Ellen Horowitz, “Yellow-headed Blackbird”, Flathead Audubon Society, posted at https://flatheadaudubon.org/bird-of-the-month/yellow-headed-blackbird/ ]

[ Quoting Ellen Horowitz, “Yellow-headed Blackkbird”, Flathead Audubon Society, posted at https://flatheadaudubon.org/bird-of-the-month/yellow-headed-blackbird/ ]

Now, with those background facts in mind, consider who some Christians try—in their daily walking through this earthly life—to stay close to God.  Think of how the Lord Jesus Christ spoke to multitudes, yet He had only a dozen close disciples (Matthew 10:1-4; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16), and even one of those was a money-embezzling fake! (John 6:70), — and, from among those 12 disciples, Christ had 3 who were closest to Him: Peter and 2 sons of Zebedee, James and John (Matthew 17:1).

YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD in cattails
(photo credit: Bryce Gaudian)

Yet many Christians are satisfied with rather worldly lives, not trying very seriously to walk through life close to God.  That’s like living at a distance, spiritually speaking, on the “shallow” side, so to speak — like Red-winged Blackbirds who settle for settling in cattails of the shallower pond-marsh waters.

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD perching on cattail
(photo credit: Bryce Gaudian)

Just as Yellow-headed Blackbirds prefer to be closer to the center of a Jackson Hole pond-marsh, I prefer to live closer to the Lord Jesus Christ–Who is my revered and appreciated Creator, Redeemer, and Shepherd. Reminds me of an old Fanny Crosby hymn:

Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.

(James 4:8a)

How about you?

YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS, with other blackbirds, in flight
(photo credit: Bryce Gaudian)

Red-winged Blackbirds: marsh-loving icterids

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RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS: MARSH-LOVING ICTERIDS

Dr. James J. S. Johnson

Can the rush grow up without mire? can the flag grow without water?

(Job 8:11)

Speaking of birdwatching in Texas, ornithologist Stan Tekiela says, “It’s a sure sign of spring when [migratory] Red-winged Blackbirds return to the marshes.” [Quoting from Tekiela’s BIRDS OF TEXAS FIELD GUIDE (Cambridge, MN: Adventure Publications, Inc., 2004), page 9.] 

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD MALE, front view, on budding plants
(photo credit: Bryce Gaudian)

Of course, Minnesota hosts Redwinged Blackbirds in early springtime, weeks before the last snowdrifts melt away with warming spring temperatures.

“CLOUD” of RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, Minnesota
(photo credit: Bryce Gaudian)

Of course, what could be a more iconic marshland plants than cattails, which Redwings love to perch upon, all over America’s Lower 48 states (as well as much of Mexico and Canada)?

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD FEMALE perching on cattail stalk
(photo credit: Bryce Gaudian)

Cattails are wetland plants, often growing on pondshore’s or along drainage ditches. 

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD MALE, profile, showing red-&-yellowish epaulet
(photo credit: Bryce Gaudian)

And where you have cattails, you often have Red-winged Blackbirds, known to ornithologists as Agelaius phoeniceus, sometimes nicknamed “Redwings” (but not to be confused with the Eurasia’s thrush that is also nicknamed “redwing”), , as was noted in a previous blogpost “Redwing Pond”, posted at https://leesbird.com/2019/11/04/redwing-pond/.

The most successful way to observe the behavior of Red-winged Blackbirds is to locate a marshy area where a number of them can be regularly found, pick one or two of the more active birds, and follow their movements for about a half hour.  A characteristic of Redwings is that they alternate periods of active displaying with periods of quiet and feeding, so you cannot just show up at a marsh and expect immediately to see all of their marvelous displays.

Donald Stokes, A GUIDE TO BIRD BEHAVIOR, Vol. I (Boston: Little, Brown & Company / Stokes Nature Guides, 1979), page 275.
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD MALE, close-up
(photo credit: Bryce Gaudian)

Red-winged Blackbirds are one of my favorite icterid (blackbird family) birds.  The males sport colorful epaulets (i.e., shoulder-wing feather “bars”) of pale yellow and red stripes, which contrast strikingly against their otherwise glossy black plumage.  The females have a more camouflage-hued brownish plumage, accenting the brown feathers with ivory-white mottling and outlining (and “eyebrows”). 

Above and below are some splendid photographs taken by Christian/creationist wildlife photographer (in Minnesota), showing how beautiful (and plentiful) these Red-winged Blackbirds can be.

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD MALE, sporting red-and-yellowish epaulet
(photo credit: Bryce Gaudian)
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD FEMALE, Minnesota
(photo credit: Bryce Gaudian)

Red-winged blackbirds are not picky eaters — although they mostly eat plant material, such as seeds (including seeds from various weeds, from birdfeeders, as well as from rice or other grain seeds) and available berries (including blackberries and blueberries). Redwings also eat a mix of small animals, especially insect adults and larvae (including flies, moths, butterflies, dragonflies), spiders, earthworms, periodical cicadas, and even snails.

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD FEMALE, perching with prey
(photo credit: BRYCE GAUDIAN)

How nice it would be to see Red-winged Blackbirds perching upon cattails that constitute a fence-like edge along a pond-shore or a drainage ditch!

Thank You, Lord, for making these marsh-loving icterids.

BOBOLINKS: GRAIN-LOVING GRASSLANDERS

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SEED-LOVING BOBOLINKS, GROUND-NESTING IN GRASSLANDS

Dr. James J. S. Johnson

BOBOLINKS in grassland habitat, Minnesota 
(photo credit: Bryce Gaudian)

If a bird’s nest chance to be before thee in the way in any tree, or on the ground, whether they be young ones, or eggs, and the mother sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the mother with the young. 

(Deuteronomy 22:6)

Moses noted that some wild birds build their nests upon the ground; Bobolinks do just that.

Years ago, I reported on the Black-capped Chickadee, noting that I first saw one at Gilsland Farm Sanctuary, while attending a wetland ecologists’ meeting: “Decades ago, I saw Black-capped Chickadees, for the first time, in Falmouth (near Portland), Maine – at the Gilsland Farm Sanctuary (now called “Gilsland Farm Audubon Center”), on May 31st of AD1995, while attending the annual national meeting of the Society of Wetlands Scientists.” [Quoting from “Tiny Yet Tough: Chickadees Hunker Down for Winter”, posted at https://leesbird.com/2016/11/18/tiny-yet-tough-chickadees-hunker-down-for-winter/ .]

Another “lifer” that I then observed that day, at Gilsland Farm Sanctuary, was the BOBOLINK.  And what a striking plumage the male Bobolink has, during breeding season! 

BOBOLINK MALE in breeding plumage, Minnesota 
(photo credit: Bryce Gaudian)

Bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) are icterids (blackbirds of the Western Hemisphere), dwelling in America’s prairie and pasture grasslands and marshy wetlands during the warm months of the year.  Bobolinks were nicknamed “rice birds” (which matches their species name, oryzivorus, meaning “rice-eating”), due to their dining habits, especially during autumn migrations.  

The Bobolink genus name, Dolichonyx, means “long claw”, matching its prehensile perching “fingers”.

BOBOLINK MALE, perching with “long claws”, Minnesota 
(photo credit: Bryce Gaudian)

During such migrations Bobolinks frequently feed in farmed fields of rice and other grains (such as oats, sorghum, maize corn, and hayseed), at energy-packing refueling stopovers (e.g., in South Carolina and the Gulf states), on their aerial journeys southward, via Caribbean islands, en route to South American over-wintering range destinations.

Bobolinks feed on (or near) the ground, eating various seeds, insects, spiders, and even snails—especially during breeding seasons.  Both larvae and adults of insects (especially armyworm moths) are protein-rich, much needed for growing Bobolink juveniles.

Also, during breeding seasons, Bobolinks depend upon available hay for nest-building, on the ground, in vegetated areas. 

Bobolinks are quite specific in their breeding habitat needs.  Open hay fields are a must, and so as farming is some regions of the country diminishes, so do populations of bobolinks.  Where colonies of bobolinks have traditionally bred, it is important to preserve their habitat with regular mowing practices.  Unfortunately, the right time to mow a field for hay is often just when the young are fledging[!].  Careful observation of the behavior of a [bobolink] colony and delaying of mowing until one or two weeks after fledging, a time when the young can fly fairly well, will keep a colony producing and ensure its [multi-generational] survival. 

[Quoting Donald W. Stokes & Lillian Q. Stokes, A GUIDE TO BIRD BEHAVIOR, Volume III (Boston: Little, Brown & Company/Stokes Nature Guides, 1989), pages 351-352.]
BOBOLINK MALE in grassland habitat, Minnesota 
(photo credit: Bryce Gaudian)

Consequently, Bobolinks are easier to find in habitats where their needs for food and nesting are plentiful.

BOBOLINK male in flight, prairie habitat, Minnesota
(photo credit: Bryce Gaudian)

The males have easily seen plumages—like reverse tuxedos (white upon black) in spring and summer, during breeding months.

BOBOLINK male, displaying yellow nape-hood, Minnesota
(photo credit: Bryce Gaudian)

Male and female bobolinks are easily distinguished during the breeding season.  Males have a black head, belly, and wings, with a buff-gold nape and white patches on the back.  The female is buff [and brown] colored all over with dark streaks on her back, wings, and sides.

[Quoting Donald W. Stokes & Lillian Q. Stokes, A GUIDE TO BIRD BEHAVIOR, Volume III (Boston: Little, Brown & Company/Stokes Nature Guides, 1989), pages 364.]

During non-breeding months, however, Bobolink males shift to duller hues of dark and light browns, similar to the year-round plumage of Bobolink females and juveniles.

BOBOLINK female perching near prairie flower
(Mircea Costina / Shutterstock / ABCbirds.org photo credit)

Of course, these tweety-chirpy icterids breed elsewhere in spring – in most of the upper half of America’s Lower 48, from the Northeast’s coastlines almost as far wet as the coasts of Washington and Oregon. Accordingly, the Bobolink migrates about 6,000 miles southward or northward, so it accrues about 12,000 miles per year, in air miles.

American Bird Conservancy range map

It was a privilege to see Bobolinks, back in AD1995, at the Gilsland Farm Sanctuary, as part of my time attending the Society of Wetlands Scientists’ meeting.

Likewise, it’s a privilege, now, to be permitted to share some of the wonderful Bobolink photographs taken in Minnesota, by Christian/creationist photographer BRYCE GAUDIAN — thanks, Bryce!

And now, it’s time for a limerick, about Bobolinks.

In Appreciation of the Bobolink, a/k/a Rice Bird

There’s an icterid feathered quite nice,

Whose fast-food oft includes rice;

It makes a chirp-sound,

As it nests on the ground,

And it’s photo’d quite well, by Bryce!

ON SEEING A GRACKLE IN THE POND-SHORE CATTAILS

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On Seeing a Grackle in the Pond-shore Cattails

Dr. James J. S. Johnson

This shall be written for the generation to come; and the people who shall be created shall praise the LORD.

(Psalm 102:18)
GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE (male)
Charles J. Sharp / Wikipedia photo credit

Last weekend, I drove past a familiar Texas pond, where 11 years ago I saw a “common” black-feathered bird (i.e., Quiscalus mexicanus = Great-tailed Grackle, to be exact), and was then jolted by an “uncommon” (and somewhat-scary) realization – God could have made me a grackle! 

Days later, during the summer of AD2012, I reported this important thought (and attitude fo gratitude) within an article [“Grackles and Gratitude”, ACTS & FACTS, 41(7):8-10 July 2012), posted at www.icr.org/article/grackles-gratitude ] about how uniquely and personally each one of us is, created by the Lord Jesus Christ, as exactly the specific individual that each one of us is. 

When was the last time that you saw a bird—perhaps a grackle or a pigeon—and shuddered with the scary realization: That could have been me! Maybe you have never thought about a grackle that way. Yet it is true—God did not need to make us just as we are. He had many other options. God could have created each of us as a bird, a butterfly, or a basalt rock. God could have made you or me a uranium-bearing rock, a nudibranch, an ice worm, a quince fruit, an ultraviolet ray, or an egret. [Notice the acrostic in the previous sentence: U.N.I.Q.U.E.!]

Yet, He deliberately chose otherwise. He chose to make us one-of-a-kind humans. What a fearful and wonderful reality!…

Surely we should thank Christ for being our very personal Creator. So the next time you see a grackle, think thankfully for a moment, “That could have been me!” And be grateful to your Creator, who made you a unique, one-of-a-kind creation.

[Quoting JJSJ’s “Of Grackles and Gratitude”)
GRACKLE ON CATTAILS (BirdNote / Gary Leavens photo credit)

So, what an echo from yesteryear it was, last weekend, when I spied another “common” grackle (actually a Great-tailed Grackle, which is common in Denton County, Texas), ambling about the littoral cattails of that same pond that I drove by more than a decade ago. 

Whew!  What a journey the past 11 years have been, as I quickly recall and reconsider (and gratefully appreciate) God’s many personal and providential blessings unto me – including His kind and caring blessings that continue to make me the individual man I am – along with the many other blessings of His redemptive and always-sufficient grace, over those 11 years since that important icterid-aided insight. 

Plus, the best is yet to come (Luke 10:20)! So, thinking of Psalm 102:18, I close this nostalgic memoir with a limerick:

AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE, ON SEEING A GRACKLE IN THE CATTAILS

Some troubles, in life, we must tackle,

Threatening us, with harm, like a jackal;

     Yet life, itself, we can face,

     Since life, itself, is God’s grace —

Each of us, God could’ve made, a grackle!

COMMON GRACKLE on Cattail
(National Park Service photo credit)

ROADRUNNERS: Made for Running!

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Roadrunners: Made for Running!

Dr. James J. S. Johnson

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

( Isaiah 40:31)

Therefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of testifying-witnesses [μαρτυρων ], let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

( Hebrews 12:1 )
GREATER ROADRUNNER (Wikipedia / PhreddieH3 photo credit)

Seeing a Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus, a/k/a Chaparral Bird) scampering about in the grass, near the east side of my lawn, last Friday (12 May, A.D.2023), reminded me of the hidden-in-plain-view miracle of running. Roadrunners are cuckoo-like birds, capable of flight yet more famous for on-the-ground running (including chasing and catching insects and reptilian prey), easily recognizable by their skinny-chicken-looking bodies, sporting long tails, scissors-like beak, and prominent crest feathers.

ROADRUNNER EATING SNAKE
( photo credit: MSN.com News / Bonnie Blink )

And Roadrunners are quick! (See, e.g., “Sneaky Roadrunner”, posted at https://leesbird.com/2014/07/09/sneaky-roadrunner/ — and also see “Dueling with a Diamondback i the Desert: ROADRUNNER vs. RATTLESNAKE!”, posted at https://leesbird.com/2017/05/23/dueling-with-a-diamondback-in-the-desert-roadrunner-vs-rattlesnake/ .)

For a recent news report on a snake-eating roadrunner, see Robyn White’s “Hungry Bird Takes on Venomous Snake—and Wins””, posted at http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/hungry-bird-takes-on-venomous-snake-and-wins/ar-AA1bcKQQ?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=e9fb24f6a0bc45f8b2e00754820428c0&ei=14 .

GREATER ROADRUNNER in Mojave Desert, California
( photo credit: Wikipedia / Jessie Eastland )

Running is an astounding activity, although we rarely think of running that way. (And chasing is even more amazing, because it involves 2 creatures running at the same time, with one trying to catch while the other tries to escape!). However, if we only saw an animal–or a human–running once in a lifetime we might recognize the physiology of running as the God-given miracle that is. But, because we see creatures run about, frequently, we lose sight of how astonishing the action of running really is.

Running requires coordinated and energetic movement, integrating purpose, distance, and body parts and systems working together with teamwork (see 1st Corinthians chapter 12), so the bioengineering needed to enable running is an energetic and ongoing exhibit of the Lord Jesus Christ’s empowering genius and wisdom. (See, accord, Randy J. Guliuzza, “Made in His Image: Beauty in Motion”, posted at http://www.icr.org/article/beauty-motion# .)

Children assume that running is normal; grandparents watch runners with nostalgia, remembering when sprinting felt effortless. Running, if and when it is accomplished with ease, is a blessing–the ability to run is a marvelous gift from our God Who invented the ability to run. In fact, the Lord gave the gift of running to more than just human children, and athletes who are older than children–He gave the gift of running to many of the animal He created.

CHEETAH running (Answers in Genesis photo credit)

Among mammal s, notable runners include feline family (such as cheetah, jaguar, and cougar, sprinting at speeds near 70 mph!), antelope-like beasts (such as pronghorn, springbok antelope, and Indian blackbuck antelope, reaching speeds of 50 to 60 mph), wildebeest (running at 50 mph), and even bats (such as free-tailed bat, flying at 60 mph!). Other fast-footed mammals include the African lion and the hare (both climaxing at almost 50 mph, and running longer distances at lesser speeds), as well as the African wild dog and Australia’s kangaroo (both climaxing at almost 45 mph).

But, what about birds? Many birds move at speeds that are mind-boggling, such as the figure-eight wing-beating of hummingbirds, which appear as blurs to the watching eyes of human spectators–some capable of speeds above 40 mph!)..

Likewise, birds can fly at high speeds, both horizontally and especially when “dive-bombing” (a/k/a stoop diving) downward—think of falcons (e.g., Peregrine Falcon, with horizontal speeds up to almost 70 mph, and diving speed above 240 mph!). Likewise, eagles are famous for their speed (e.g., Golden eagle, with horizontal speed near 30 mph, and diving speed near 200 mph).

EAGLE diving down! ( photo credit: 9gag.com )

Indeed, the Holy Bible refers to the eagle’s speedy flight more than once.

Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.

( 2nd Samuel 1:23 )

Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.

( Lamentations 4:19 )

Yet birds can be rapid runners on ground, too–with the Roadrunner being the classic example of a bird famous for running.

OSTRICH running ( photo credit: Thomson Safaris )

Actually, Africa’s Ostrich runs faster, achieving speeds up to 43 mph (with some reports of quick sprint-bursts up to 60 mph!), qualifying the Ostrich as the fleetest terrestrial runner among birds! Ostriches have stamina, too, so they can sustain speeds above 30 mph for a half-hour or even longer–no human can do that! Behind the Ostrich, Australia’s Emu (a smaller ratite) zooms by, racing at speeds above 30 mph.

ROADRUNNER with prey (photo credit: Nature Picture Library)

Yet the Greater Roadrunner, a much smaller bird, can dart about at speeds above 25 mph–faster than even fleet-footed children.

So, you get the picture–running is a big deal! On that note I’ll quit–i.e., rest–because I ‘got tired” just thinking about all of those creatures running to and fro. Actually, to be frank, I NEVER GET TIRED! Why? I don’t “get tired” because I stay tired.

:)

GREATER ROADRUNNER at Caprock Canyons State Park in West Texas
( photo credit: Wikipedia / drumguy8800 xvisionx.com )

Having arrived at this blogpost’s “finish line”, I’ll contribute this limerick:

STARTLED BY A ROADRUNNER ZIGZAGGING IN THE GRASS

After filling my mower with gas,

I was cutting my east lawn’s grass;

Whoa! — it gave me a start!

‘Twas a bird that did dart!

Wow! Texas roadrunners run fast!

ROADRUNNER, on the run!
(photo credit: Wikipedia / El Brujo+ )

Caterpillar-craving Chickadees

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Caterpillar-craving Chickadees

Dr. James J. S. Johnson

CHICKADEE WITH CATERPILLAR
(photo credit: Deb Breton / Portland State University)

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.

(Matthew 6:19-20)

Although moths are famous as pests, to humans (since Biblical times, as the above quote shows), moth caterpillars are desired and delectable food for hungry chickadees—and chickadees need lots of food energy for fuel, to live out their brave and busy lives.

CAROLINA CHICKADEE ( photo credit: Maria de Bruyn / ProjectNoah.org )

Chickadees are brave little birds, resilient enough to tough out winter weather, while less resilient birds migrate south for milder climes. 

CHICKADEE, eating seeds during winter in Canada
(photo credit:  DiscoverSouthernOntario.com)

The resilience of these petite yet robust little passerines was recently appreciated by Alonso Abugattas (a/k/a “Capital Naturalist”*), in the May (A.D.2023) issue of CHESAPEAKE BAY JOURNAL. (*This is the same Alonso Abugattas, longtime natural resources manager for Arlington in Virginia, who was recognized as a “Regional Environmental Champion” by the Washington metro area’s Audubon Naturalist Society.)

One of my favorite birds is the chickadee.  The Carolina chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) is the one we usually see around the Washington, D.C. area.  The nearly identical black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) usually lives farther north, though the species overlap a bit in central and south Pennsylvania.  The black caps are known to venture farther south during irruption years, when there is severe cold weather or food shortage.  The energy and resourcefulness of chickadees, along with biological adaptations, allow them to live in our yards year-round.  In winter, when most other insect-eating birds migrate [south], they augment their diet with seeds.  People who feed birds are likely to find chickadees, which are particularly fond of black oil sunflower seeds, to be among their best customers. …

Chickadees have several ways of conserving energy [i.e., body heat when it is cold outside]. They fluff their feathers and grow up to 30% more feathers in winter to trap body-warmed air. They can also enter torpor [i.e., overnight semi-hibernation metabolic slowdown], reducing their body temperatures by as much as 20 degrees on winter nights to conserve fat reserves.

[Quoting Alonso Abugattas, “Meet the Carolina Chickadee, Resourceful ‘Bringer of News’”, CHESAPEAKE BAY JOURNAL, 33(3):39 (May 2023).]

CHICKADEE IN WINTER
(photo credit: Howard Eskin / Backyards for Nature)

In Texas the Carolina Chickadee is a year-round resident in the north (even as far as the northeast corner of the Panhandle), east, and central (including much of the Edwards Plateau) parts. [See Roger Tory Peterson, A FIELD GUIDE TO THE BIRDS OF TEXAS AND ADJACENT STATES (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1988), a/k/a BIRDS OF TEXAS, at pages 141, plate 38, & 172.]

Chickadees are easy to identify: “Chickadees are the only small birds with the combination of black cap, black bib, white cheeks. … [noticeably] smaller than sparrows.” [Quoting Peterson’s BIRDS OF TEXAS, cited above, at page 172.]

However, distinguishing between Carolina Chickadees and Black-capped Chickadees is not so easy.  In fact, these chickadees belong to the same created (on Day 5 of Creation Week) created “kind” of bird, because they successfully interbreed. (In fact, other chickadee hybrids are known, such as hybrids of Mountain Chickadees with Black-capped Chickadees.)

CHICKADEE HYBRID: BLACK-CAPPED X MOUNTAIN
(photo credit: Steve Mlodinow / Bird Hybrids Blog)

Unsurprisingly, hybridization occurs where Black-capped Chickadees share ranges with Carolina Chickadees, such as in Colorado. [See Kelsey Simpkins, “The Chickadee You See Sitting on a Tree? It Might Be a Hybrid”, CU BOULDER TODAY (Oct. 22, 2022), posted by University of Colorado Boulder, at http://www.colorado.edu/today/2022/10/28/chickadee-you-see-sitting-tree-it-might-be-hybrid .] In fact, hybridization also occurs with the Black-capped Chickadee and its range-sharing cousin, the white eye-browed (but otherwise similar-looking) Mountain Chickadee.

Black-capped chickadee is by far the most common of the two i.e., of Black-capped Chickadees and Carolina Chickadees] and has a much wider range spanning pretty much the entirety of the USA and southern Canada, though they’re also found in Alaska.  Conversely, the Carolina chickadee is relatively confined to the southeastern USA.  The two birds converge [i.e., overlap in ranges] along a wide strip spanning from New Jersey to Kansas.  In terms of looks, the Black-capped chickadee is slightly larger than the Carolina chickadee [which is an advantage for preserving body heat in cold winters].  The Black-capped chickadee also has more strongly contrasting plumage, including a paler breast and underside of the body.  To confuse these birds further, they often hybridize (frequently!) across the strip where they meet, particularly when the Black-capped chickadees push further south during [winter] than they would usually do.  Hybrid Black-capped and Carolina chickadees are pretty much impossible to identify [apart from DNA studies].  . . .

However, where Black-capped and Carolina chickadees meet, they can learn each other’s songs which renders this form of identification quite useless! For example, most Carolina chickadees sing Black-capped songs in Pennsylvania, and about 60% sing both Black-capped and Carolina songs. This intermixing of songs causes chickadees to sing strange mixes of each other’s songs, leading to increased hybridization.

[Quoting “Do Carolina and Black-capped Chickadees Hybridize?” in “Carolina Chickadee vs Black-capped Chickadee: What Are the Differences?”, BIRDFACT (April 11, 2022), posted at https://birdfact.com/articles/carolina-chickadee-vs-black-capped-chickadee#:~:text=Carolina%20and%20Black-capped%20chickadees%20are%20not%20particularly%20related%2C,when%20they%20come%20into%20contact%20with%20Carolina%20chickadees .]

The observed behaviors of chickadees are a study in themselves—they have special habits of communication (including vocalized “talking” and visual display “body language”), courting, breeding and nest life (including nest-building, egg laying, incubation, nurturing hatchlings, etc.), territory defense, and more. 

BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE in Ontario, Canada
(photo credit:  DiscoverSouthernOntario.com)

One such behavior is territory defense, a behavioral habit that is unusual among North American passerine songbirds. In particular this has been observed of Black-capped Chickadees, though there is not reason to suspect this habit is absent among its southern Carolina cousins.

Black-capped Chickadees are unusual in terms of territory [stewardship]. Like some other birds, they hold both breeding and nonbreeding territories, but unlike any of our other common birds, their nonbreeding territory is occupied and defended by a flock and not by an individual bird or mated pair.  These flocks are highly structured [i.e., organized] and have predictable patterns of movement.  …

In late summer after the young [fledglings] have dispersed, Chickadees gather into small flocks that remain together until the start of the next breeding season.  … A flock usually forms around a dominant pair that has just finished a successful brood.   The flock contain six to ten birds, some juveniles, some paired adults, and some single adults.  It establishes a feeding territory which it defends against other neighboring flocks. …

Once the breeding phase starts [in spring], winter flocks break up and you will have fewer Chickadees at your feeder.  If one or two pairs remain in the area to breed, you may see the female do Wing-quiver [visual display] as she is fed by the male in courtship, and later you may see the young [hatchlings] do Wing-quiver as they are fed by the parents.

[Quoting Donald W. Stokes, A GUIDE TO BIRD BEHAVIOR, VOLUME I (Little, Brown, 1979), at pages 166, 171, 173]

Chickadees are also famous for another habit:  gobbling up caterpillars!

CHICKADEE EATING CATERPILLAR
(photo credit: Doug Tallamy of Univ. of Delaware / News.Mongabay.com)

So, if you dislike swarms of insects (such as flies) during summertime, or if you fear moths marring your beautiful clothing (see Matthew 6:19-20), you should appreciate the moth-munching insectivorous diets of chickadees:

Chickadee parents feed their young almost exclusively on insects. Caterpillars [i.e., crawling insect larvae of butterflies and moths] are their favorite. It takes about 9,000 caterpillars to raise one brood. Studies have shown that when insects aren’t available, the young [chickadee hatchlings] can die if fed only seed. This is why chickadees prefer to nest near native trees (and, in turn, native insects) as opposed to yards with nonnative plants [that are less “hospitable” to the insect populations that chickadees prefer to eat]. Their reproductive success is at stake.

[Quoting Alonso Abugattas, “Meet the Carolina Chickadee, Resourceful ‘Bringer of News’”, CHESAPEAKE BAY JOURNAL, 33(3):39 (May 2023).]

CAROLINA CHICKADEE EATING CATERPILLAR
(photo credit: Doug Tallamy, University of Delaware / Popular Science)

Caterpillars provide more metabolic value than just nutritious protein; because caterpillars contain carotenoids, eating caterpillars helps chickadee feathers to be colorful, bright, and shiny.

So, as moths (including their caterpillar larvae) remind us to store up incorruptible treasures in Heaven (Matthew 6:21), we can also appreciate how God has purposed many of those lepidopteran caterpillars to fuel the brave and busy lifestyles of chickadees.

CHICKADEE EATING CATERPILLAR
(photo credit: Deb Breton / Portland State University)

Fly-thru “Althing” of Migratory Cedar Waxwings

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Dr. James J. S. Johnson

“Praise the LORD from the earth … fruitful trees and all cedars … and flying fowl.” (from Psalm 148:7-10)

CEDAR WAXWINGS EATING BERRIES [photo credit: Wild Birds Unlimited]

Each spring gregarious flocks of Cedar Waxwings pass through my part of Texas, as they migrate northward toward their breeding grounds. No “lone rangers” here! Cedar Waxwings travel in flocks of many dozens–sometimes even hundreds–synchronizing their fast-food stopovers along the way, to refuel for the next aerial leg of their migratory trek. And trees or bushes with red berries are a particular favorite of Cedar Waxwings. Although the nutritional details are a bit technical — as noted below* — waxwings need to balance their sour berry intake with protein-rich pollen, both of which are available during mid-April in my part of Texas, as the flocks of Cedar Waxwings pass through in their flights northward.

So, when these large flocks of colorful waxwings make a “pit stop” for fast-food they often fill the branches of trees as they hastily consume red berries (and other edible nutrients), just before resuming their northbound flights to their spring-through-summer breeding ranges.

On April 7th A.D.2023, a Friday morning, as I observed this hastily convened arboreal assembly of avian migrants, I thought of the traditional assemblies (“things”) of the Vikings — such as those Nordic congregants convened annually in Iceland (Thingvellir’s “Althing”) and on the Isle of Man (at the Manx “Tynwald”), to conduct the serious business of life. Could it be that these Cedar Waxwings were having their own version of an Althing assembly, as they refueled (and rested briefly) during their stopover in the branches of my trees and bushes? Since I cannot understand the language of Cedar Waxwings I cannot know what they conversed about — but I knew that they would vacate northward soon enough, so I would not see them again until the next seasonal migratory pass-through, as they live out the providential phenology of their migratory lifestyle.

What a privilege it was to see God’s Cedar Waxwings–scores of them (perhaps more than a hundred!) as a flock in transit–quickly visiting the trees and bushes on the south side of my home. Surely God’s birds will remind us of His care for us, if we take the time to think about it–and have eyes to see (Matthew 6:26; Luke 12:24).

In fact, that faith lesson (which is was taught, in ancient times, to the patriarch Job, by God Himself (in Job 38:41), as is noted in the first of the 3 apologetics lectures (shown below) that I gave recently, to a Swedish theology school (Skandinavisk Teologisk Högskola):

God’s Creation Sermon in Job 39: Learning from God’s Animals: https://youtu.be/_ydP8vCTBAY

Viking Skeletons Embarrass Carbon 14 Radiometric Dating: https://youtu.be/Bx40cjdodRM

Why Study Grass and Flowers? Learning from God’s Plants: https://youtu.be/-4SMgqq2waU

CEDAR WAXWINGS [photo credit: Museum of Life & Science, Durham, N.C.]

So, now for a limerick, that memorializes my observations of the flock of Cedar Waxwings that briefly visited my frontyard earlier this month:

FAST-FOOD/FLY-THRU ALTHING OF MIGRATORY CEDAR WAXWINGS

A flock-full of birds, in my trees,

Gulped down every berry they’d seize;

This arboreal Althing

of the Cedar Waxwing

Soon adjourned—dispersed with the breeze!

CEDAR WAXWINGS photo credit: Mary Anne Borge / The Natural Web

[*For technical information, befitting Cornell University, about the diet of Cedar Waxwings, see Mark C. Witmer’s “Nutritional Interactions and Fruit Removal: Cedar Waxwing Consumption of Viburnum opulus Fruits in Spring”, ECOLOGY, 82(11):3120-3130 (November 2001).]

Looking at a Lone Lesser Scaup

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LOOKING AT A LONE LESSER SCAUP

Dr. James J. S. Johnson

God … is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: … [and He] doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.

[Job 9:2 & 9:4 & 9:10]

LESSER SCAUP male (photo credit: National Audubon Society)

Last Saturday (February 18th of A.D.2023), as I was birdwatching inside my wife’s car — while she was driving, so it’s okay that I was birdwatching! — I saw a lone Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis, a/k/a “Little Bluebill”) floating in the middle of a favorite pond (where I have often seen grackles in the past — see http://www.icr.org/article/grackles-gratitude/ — and appreciated that God could have made me a grackle!).

As I thought about this Lesser Scaup, and how I’ve often seen such scaups (and other ducks) on Texas ponds during winter, it seems that the occasion deserves a poetic memorial of some kind, such as a limerick.

Now, a few days later, here is that limerick, although admittedly the limerick calls the pond a “lake” (which some ponds are called, anyway, by Floridians), because it’s easier to rhyme “lake” than “pond” when composing limericks.

LESSER SCAUP (photo credit: swartzentrover.com / BirdPages)

LOOKING AT A LONE LESSER SCAUP ON A WINTER DAY

One cold wintry day, on a lake,

A scaup floated by — ’twas a drake;

Little bluebills eat seeds,

Clams, mussels, pondweeds;

I’m glad that, such ducks, God did make!

LESSER SCAUP female (L) & male (R)

photo credit: BirdwatchingDaily.com / David Mundy

Apparently, the anatid name “scaup” derives from a European word referring to shellfish (e.g., Noah Webster’s 1828 AMERICAN DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE notes that “scalp” comes from the Dutch schelp meaning “shell”), alluding to coastal bivalves (such as clams, mussels, and oysters), which are often eaten by these diving ducks. These wetland-frequenting ducks also eat shoreline vegetation, such as pondweeds, widgeon-grass, sedges, bulrushes, wild rice, wild celery, and other hydrophilic plants.

Generally speaking, scaups are migratory birds, so we Texans see them during the cold months of the year — however, there are some parts of North America where Lesser Scaups are seen year-round. Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish a Lesser Scaup from a Greater Scaup (Aythya marila, a/k/a “Common Scaup” or “Bluebill”), from a distance — plus, to confuse identifications further, these scaups can hybridize with each other, as well as with the American Redhead (Aythya americana), Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris), European Pochard (Aythya ferina), and Canvasback (Aythya valisineria). [See Eugene M. McCarthy, HANDBOOK OF AVIAN HYBRIDS OF THE WORLD (Oxford, UK: Oxford Univ. Press, 2006), page 90.] But they are all diving ducks!

Greater Scaup between Lesseer Scaups (photo credit: reddit.com / birdpics)

So, as noted above (in the above limerick that is just “ducky”), I’m glad that, such ducks, God did make!

FLORIDA POND-SHORE REPORT, PART 3

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FLORIDA POND-SHORE REPORT, PART 3

Dr. James J. S. Johnson

He hath made everything beautiful in his time….

(Ecclesiastes 3:11a)

BLUE JAY (photo credit: Rob Hanson/ Wikipedia)

As reported in 2 recent blogposts   —  ( see https://leesbird.com/2023/01/20/florida-pond-shore-report-part-1/  and https://leesbird.com/2023/01/23/florida-pond-shore-report-part-2/ )  —  the pond-shore birds were plentiful (except not ducks, for some odd reasons) in St. Petersburg, Florida, at the home of Chaplain Bob and Marcia Webel, on the morning of Monday, January 16th (A.D.2023, as Chaplain Bob and I sat in lawn chairs in the Webels’ backyard that adjoins the pond-shore (of what Floridians call a “lake”), drinking our coffee (and eating toasted rye bread). 

In that prior-reported blogposts I described reported (in Part 1) seeing Bald Eagle, White Ibis, and Common Grackle, as well as seeing (in Part 2) Great Blue Heron, Great White Egret, and Double-crested Cormorant.

In this report (Part 3) the birds to be featured are Snowy Egret, Mockingbird, Mourning Dove, and Blue Jay.

SNOWY EGRET in St. Petersburg  (Joan and Dan’s Birding Blog image, q.v.)

SNOWY EGRET.  The Snowy Egret has previously been described on this blog by ornithologist Lee Dusing, documenting this splendidly plumed wader (seen in St. Petersburg), in her blogpost “Walking Snowy Egret Showing Off Yellow Feet”, posted  at https://leesbird.com/2019/01/04/walking-snowy-egret-showing-off-yellow-feet/ , on January 4th of A.D.2019, — as well as in “’E’ is for Egrets and Emus: ‘E Birds’, Part 2” (posted at https://leesbird.com/2016/11/08/eis-for-egrets-and-emus-e-birds-part-2/ , on November 11th of AD2018).   Snowy Egrets (Egretta thula) are reported to hybridize with Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) and Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis), according to Eugene M. McCarthy, HANDBOOK OF AVIAN HYBRIDS FO THE WORLD (Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2006), pages 189-191.  The Snowy Egret, as a member of the “heron-egret” subfamily Ardeinae, is a distant “cousin” to the Great White Egret that is described in “Egret Feathers, Worth More than Gold!” (posted at https://leesbird.com/2018/08/17/egret-feathers-worth-more-than-gold/ , dated August 17th of AD2018).

NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD    ( U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service image / Wikipedia, q.v.)

MOCKINGBIRD.  The Northern Mockingbird (whose ability to “mock” the vocal sounds of others, reminding us of the wisdom in Ecclesiastes 10:20) has previously been described on this birdwatching blog  –  see “Mockingbirds: Versatile Voices in Plain Plumage”, posted at https://leesbird.com/2017/08/16/mockingbirds-versatile-voices-in-plain-plumage/  (on August 16th of AD2016).  See also ornithologist Lee Dusing’s video-enhanced blogpost (“Northern Mockingbird”), posted March 19th of AD2009, at https://leesbird.com/2009/03/19/northern-mockingbird/ , citing the Peterson Field Guide Video Series, q.v., at https://www.youtube.com/user/petersonfieldguides .

MOURNING DOVE, ( Don BeBold image / Wikipedia, q.v.)

MOURNING DOVE.  The Mourning Dove has previously been described on this birdwatching blog  –  see “The Ghost Army – Repost”, posted November 2nd of AD2015, at https://leesbird.com/2015/11/02/the-ghost-army-repost/  —  citing https://www.icr.org/article/8990 (from the November AD2015 issue of ACTS & FACTS magazine), — as well as in “Pond-side Birdwatching in Florida, Part III”, posted March 5th of AD2015 (at https://leesbird.com/2015/03/05/pond-side-birdwatching-in-florida-iii/ ).  See also ornithologist Lee Dusing’s interesting report on doves in her blogpost “Birds of the Bible:  Dove and Turtledove”, posted May 16th of AD2008 (at https://leesbird.com/2008/05/16/birds-of-the-bible-dove-and-turtle-dove/ ), noting that our Mourning Dove matches the prophet’s lamentation in Isaiah 38:14.  Of course, just because you hear mourning-like cooing—that sounds like a dove—it might be another bird!  (See “So, Who Coos from the Rooftop?” — posted June 9th of AD2022, at https://leesbird.com/2022/06/09/so-who-coos-from-the-rooftop/ ), noting that Roadrunners can make sounds like those of Mourning Doves!  Amazing!

BLUE JAY (John James Audubon painting, ~AD1830s / public domain)

BLUE JAY.  The Blue Jay, which can be a neighborhood bully, has been described on this birding blog  –  see “Bird Brains, Amazing Evidence of God’s Genius”, posted on March 7th of AD2013 (at https://leesbird.com/2013/03/07/48484/ ).  When ranges overlap, such as in Rocky Mountain states, Blue Jays sometimes hybridize with Steller’s Jays — see “Jaybirds Mix It Up in Colorado”, posted on November 12th of AD2018 (at  https://leesbird.com/2018/11/12/jaybirds-mix-it-up-in-colorado/ ). The behavioral habits of Blue Jays, which include eating sunflower seeds, are noted within the poetic blogpost titled “Here’s Seed for Thought”, posted on July 4th of AD2015 (at https://leesbird.com/2015/07/04/heres-seed-for-thought/ ).  Another jaybird adventure that comes to mind is the birdwatching joy (on July 7th of AD2006, with my wife, while approaching a rural restaurant) of seeing a Eurasian Jay in a wooded field outside of Porvoo, Finland – see  “Eurasian Jay: ‘Jay of the Oaks’ Admired in Finland”, posted on October 10th of AD2016 (at https://leesbird.com/2016/10/10/eurasian-jay-jay-of-the-oaks-admired-in-finland/  ). Truly amazing!

WEBELS’ BACKYARD BIRDWATCHING    (Marcia Webel photo, AD2016)

Meanwhile, the other pond-shore visiting birds  —  i.e., Florida Gallinule (a/k/a Common Moorhen), Anhinga (a/k/a Snakebird), Tufted Titmouse, Limpkin, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Muscovy Duck (the last being seen on grass of neighbor’s front-yard)  —   on the morning of Monday, January 16th of A.D.2023), must wait for another day to be reported here, Deo volente.  Thank the Lord for such good memories!

Also, thanks be unto the LORD for His creative and artistic bioengineering as our great Creator, including His Creatorship as exhibited in His making of Snowy Egrets (like the one below shown) and of all of Earth’s other magnificent birds!

><> JJSJ profjjsj@aol.com

SNOWY EGRET   (Rich Vial / Clearly Confused Blog photo credit)

FLORIDA POND-SHORE REPORT, PART 2

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FLORIDA POND-SHORE REPORT, PART 2

Dr. James J. S. Johnson


And the stork, the heron [הָאֲנָפָ֖ה] after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.

Leviticus 11:19

As reported last Friday   —  ( see https://leesbird.com/2023/01/20/florida-pond-shore-report-part-1/  )  —  the pond-shore birds were plentiful (except not ducks, for some odd reasons) in St. Petersburg, Florida, at the home of Chaplain Bob and Marcia Webel, on the morning of Monday, January 16th (A.D.2023, as Chaplain Bob and I sat in lawn chairs in the Webels’ backyard that adjoins the pond-shore (of what Floridians call a “lake”), drinking our coffee (and eating toasted rye bread).  In that prior-reported blogpost I described the Bald Eagle, White Ibis, and Common Grackle.  This report (“Part 2” in this series) will feature the Great Blue Heron, Great White Egret, and Double-crested Cormorant.

GREAT BLUE HERON in Florida   (Terry Foote image / Wikipedia image, q.v.)

GREAT BLUE HERON.  The Great Blue Heron has previously been described on this blog  –  see “Great Blue Heron:  Patient, Prompt, and (Rarely) Pugnacious” (posted at https://leesbird.com/2014/06/30/great-blue-heron-patient-prompt-and-rarely-pugnacious/ ), reported on June 30th of A.D.2014.  Another Great Blue Heron report, documenting this gigantic yet graceful wader (seen in St. Petersburg), appears at https://leesbird.com/2015/02/18/pond-side-birdwatching-in-florida-i/  (“Pond-side Birdwatching in Florida, Part 1”), posted February 18th of A.D.2015.

GREAT WHITE EGRET with young   (Mike Baird image / Wikipedia, q.v.)

GREAT WHITE EGRET.  The Great White Egret (a/k/a “Great Egret”) has previously been described on this birdwatching blog  –  see “Pond-side Birdwatching in Florida, Part 3” (posted at https://leesbird.com/2015/03/05/pond-side-birdwatching-in-florida-iii/ ).  See also ornithologist Lee Dusing’s blogpost (“Great Egret Preening at Gatorland”), with magnificent photographs and video, from Gatorland, posted December 21st of A.D.2017, at https://leesbird.com/2017/12/21/great-egret-preening-at-gatorland/  .

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, 1 with a fish   (Brocken Inaglory image / Wikipedia, q.v.)

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT.  The Double-crested Cormorant has previously been described on this birdwatching blog  –  see “Of Cormorants and Anhingas” (posted on June 13th of A.D.2019, at https://leesbird.com/2019/06/13/of-cormorants-and-anhingas/ ).  See also Lee Dusing’s interesting report on cormorants, “Birds of the Bible – Cormorant”, posted June 26th of A.D.2008, at https://leesbird.com/2008/06/26/birds-of-the-bible-cormorant/ — which includes video footage of domesticated cormorant fishing in China.  Amazing!

WEBELS’ BACKYARD BIRDWATCHING    (Marcia Webel photo, AD2016)

Meanwhile, the other pond-shore visiting birds   —  i.e., Mockingbird, Mourning Dove, Blue Jay, Snowy Egret, Common Moorhen (a/k/a “Florida Gallinule”, Anhinga, Tufted Titmouse, Limpkin, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Muscovy Duck (the last being seen on grass of neighbor’s front-yard)  —   on the morning of Monday, January 16th of A.D.2023), must wait for another day to be reported here, Deo volente. Thank the Lord for ssuch good memories!

I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause, Who doeth great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number … Who doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.

Job 5:8-9 & 9:10

“AULD LANG BIRDWATCHING”* follows:


(Sing to the tune of AULD LANG SYNE.)

Should old birdwatching be forgot

    And lifers go unseen?

The fowl so fair, in air we spot

    Or perching as they preen.

 While drinking coffee, birds we gaze

    On earth, at sea, in sky;

God made them all, us to amaze,

    Birds run and swim and fly!

*JJSJ limerick, first posted September 20th of A.D.2017, in “Happy Memories Accented by Black Skimmers at Madeira Beach” (at https://leesbird.com/2017/09/20/happy-memories-accented-by-black-skimmers-at-madeira-beach/  ).

FLORIDA POND-SHORE REPORT, PART 1

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FLORIDA POND-SHORE REPORT, PART 1

Dr. James J. S. Johnson


“I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pond of water, and the dry land springs of water.” 

(Isaiah 41:18)

Wow! What a morning birdwatching in St. Petersburg, Florida, at the home of Chaplain Bob and Marcia Webel, good Christian friends (of mine) since the early A.D.1970s (and good friends of my wife, years later). On the morning of Monday, January 16th (A.D.2023) we sat in lawn chairs inside the backyard that borders a near-the-bay pond (i.e., what Floridians call a “lake”), drinking our coffee (and eating toasted rye bread), enjoying the privilege of observing the following birds:

BALD EAGLE  (Wikipedia image)

Bald Eagle. When a Bald Eagle fly to the top branches of a pond-shore tree the smaller birds fled, yielding to the eagle’s raptor reputation. All American patriots know the Bald Eagle, our national bird.  The heads and necks (of both male adults and female adults) are covered with bright white feathers, giving it the appearance of being “bald” (from a distance).  [See John Bull & John Farrand, Jr., NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY FIELD GUIDE TO NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS:  EASTERN REGION, revised edition (New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 1994), pages 321-322 & 423-424.]  These heavy hawk-like raptors love to eat fish, so it is not surprising to see them at and near seashores, lakeshores, estuarial bays and riverbanks, and similar shorelines where fish are readily available. [See Roger Tory Peterson, PETERSON FIELD GUIDE TO BIRDS OF WESTERN NORTH AMERICA, 5th edition (Boston, MA: HarperCollins, 2020), page 178.]  

WHITE IBIS  (Wikipedia image)

White Ibis.  Although wild, these happy-to-eat-bread birds are noticeably bold in their willingness to approach humans who feed them bread crumbs.  (In some Florida pond-shore park contexts they will literally eat bread morsels from human hands.)  White Ibises are a long-legged chicken-sized waterfowl, almost all white (yet has black under-edging on its wings), with a long decurved (i.e., downward-curved) bill that is reddish (vermillion-orange/coral-red) in color.  These wading birds enjoy eating critters that inhabit pond-shore waters, such as crayfish, small fishes, and aquatic insects.  [See John Bull & John Farrand, Jr., NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY FIELD GUIDE TO NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS:  EASTERN REGION, revised edition (New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 1994), pages 12 & 376.]  These white waterfowl are known to hybridize with Scarlet Ibis.  [See Eugene M. McCarthy,  HANDBOOK OF AVIAN HYBRIDS OF THE WORLD (Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2006), page 192.]

COMMON GRACKLE  (Wikipedia image)

Common Grackle.  Although I was originally inspired by a Great-tailed Grackle (at a pond-shore in Denton County, Texas) to write “Of Grackles and Gratitude”, in the July AD2012 issue of ACTS & FACTS ( posted at www.icr.org/article/grackles-gratitude ), the grackles that I saw in St. Petersburg, in the backyard by the pond-shore, were Common Grackles (varieties of which include “Purple Grackle” and “Florida Grackle”).  Their glossy-black iridescent plumage shimmers in the sunlight, like a kaleidoscope of gleaning flickers of indigo, deep purple, peacock blue, midnight blue, dark bronze-brown, and emerald green.  [See John Bull & John Farrand, Jr., NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY FIELD GUIDE TO NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS:  EASTERN REGION, revised edition (New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 1994), pages 479 & 735.] 

Other birds that we (i.e., Chaplain Bob Webel and I, while our wives chatted inside the Webels’ house) observed that morning, at or near the pond-shore, included Great White Egret, Great Blue Heron, Double-crested Cormorant, Mockingbird, Mourning Dove, Blue Jay, Snowy Egret, Common Moorhen, Anhinga, Tufted Titmouse (on a tree near the pond-shore), Limpkin (foraging near a group of ibises), Red-bellied Woodpecker (on oak branches by the pond-shore), plus later 3 Muscovy Ducks were seen waddling about on the grass of a neighbor’s front-yard. Besides birds, a playful (and very large) River Otter relaxed on the opposite shore of the pond, while several Eastern Grey Squirrels darted here and there on the ground and on the trunk and branches of nearby trees.

But the details of those other shoreline-visiting birds must await future blogposts (D.v.), because this one is almost finished.

Meanwhile, what a privilege it is to observe—close-up—God’s winged wonders, including those seen last Monday.

“Praise the Lord from the earth, … beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl.” 

(Psalm 148:7a & 148:10)