Even the stork in the sky Knows her seasons; And the turtledove and the swift and the thrush Observe the time of their migration; But My people do not know The ordinance of the LORD. (Jeremiah 8:7 NASB)
Sunday Inspiration – Thrushes
This week we get to see the Lord’s creation in the Turdidae – Thrushes Family. The Muscicapidae Family also has the Palm & Rock Thrushes. It is easy to see the characteristic similarity of these birds, even though they have differences in color, even in their feet and beaks.
“The salamanders,” said daddy, “are little creatures very much like lizards in looks, except their skin is not scaly as a lizard’s. They have four legs and a tail, and are very nice, kind and gentle.
“Well, these salamanders agreed that they would have a fire department, and the next thing was to arrange for the hose and ladder. Finally it was decided that their salamander cousins should be chosen to run the hose and ladder.
“‘We shall call ourselves the fire and water fire department,’ said one of the fire salamanders. ‘It will be our business to rush in and rescue the animals who are in danger of being burned to death, and it will be your business to help them down to the brook, where we’ll have our hose ready to sprinkle them with good, cool water.’
“But days and days went by, and still no fire broke out.
“‘I know what’s the trouble,’ said another one of the fire salamanders. ‘We have no fire bell; there may have been fires that we knew nothing of; you never can tell.’
“‘Don’t be gloomy,’ said still another fire salamander. ‘We’ll have a fire bell. I know where a kind old cow left her bell from last year. We’ll put it by the stump just at the edge of the brook and all the animals can be told to move it when there is a fire. Then we will all come out and stop the fire.’
“And soon notices were put up all over the woods and around the brook which read:
“‘To the Animals: Attention! In case of fire, ring the cow bell by the brook. The Fire and Water Fire Department of the Salamanders will PUT IT OUT.’
“These notices were read by all the animals, and the very next day the salamanders heard the cow bell.
“‘Where’s the fire?’ they all shouted.
“‘Over there,’ said Grandfather Frog, who was watching the fire department start off.
“They wiggled and crawled as quickly as they could to the spot where the fire was. It was the vireo family’s nest. You know the vireos are those beautiful, shy birds that live in the woods and have such lovely voices. The fire salamanders rushed right into the fire and pulled out of the nest the vireo children just in time before their little feathers got burnt. And, of course, the Mother and Daddy Vireo were able to fly out.
“When they all reached the brook at last, the Mother and Daddy Vireo sang the most wonderful song as a reward to the brave salamander fire department.”
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. (Colossians 3:16-17 KJV)
The story doesn’t say which kind of Vireo this was, but Vireos belong to the Vireonidae – Vireos, Greenlets Family. They all have beautiful songs.
Hi again boys and girls! It’s me, the Golden Eagle. In case your wondered my nest is in sunny Florida! I think there are close to 400 different species just in this state! Hey, have you started to keep your journal yet? Write done the birds you see, what the birds are doing, what time of day that you see the birds, and anything that might be out of the ordinary! This Bible and bird journey should get very interesting!
And he waited yet another seven days, and again he sent the dove out from the ark. Then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth; and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. So he waited yet another seven days and sent out the dove, which did not return again to him anymore. (Genesis 8:10-12 NKJV)
This whole wide earth was at one time, in the past, covered with water! Now that is really not hard to believe. Even today, the earth is covered with water, about 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered with the stuff! In our Solar System we are the only WATER PLANET! Every mountain was at one point covered with water. Scientists have even found sea shells on the top of Mt Everest! Your average Scientist thinks that Noah’s flood is just a myth, and that the surface of Mars was shaped by a flood! The truth of the Bible teaches us that the surface of the Earth was shaped by water! The Grand Canyon of the United States was carved out by a lot of water in a little bit of time. Of course the evolutionists say that the Grand Canyon was formed over millions of years by a little bit of water, the Colorado River.
On the wings of a snow white dove! The DOVE is a beautiful bird. It flies ever so gently with the color of a white snowflake. Sometimes even people today liken the Holy Spirit of God to the dove. White in holiness and purity, flying here and there, the Holy Spirit whispers to our minds and to our hearts that JESUS is indeed the Son of God, Heaven is real, the Bible is true, and after death there is something more in God’s wonderful purpose for you and me!
Hey kids! Start reading at least one chapter in the Bible each and every day! And don’t forget to join the ranks of the birders of the world! Until next time, this is the Golden Eagle soaring away into the sunset and my next meal! See Ya!!!
Indian Scops Owl (Otus bakkamoena) pair by Nikhil Devasar
Sunday Inspiration – Owls
The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the wild beasts of the island, and the satyr shall cry to his fellow; the screech owl also shall rest there, and find for herself a place of rest. There shall the great owl make her nest, and lay, and hatch, and gather under her shadow: there shall the vultures also be gathered, every one with her mate. (Isaiah 34:14-15 KJV)
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
*
How Great Thou Art by Sean Fielder (from Faith Baptist Church)
Text: Be Strong in the Lord
Author: Linda Lee Johnson
Tune: FETTKE
Composer: Tom Fettke
Be strong in the Lord
Be strong in the Lord, and be of good courage;
Your mighty Defender is always the same. Mount up with wings, as the eagle ascending;
Vict’ry is sure when you call on His name.
Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord; And be of good courage, for He is your guide. Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord; And be of good courage, for He is your guide. Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord; And rejoice for the vict’ry is yours.
So put on the armour the Lord has provided;
And place your defense in His unfailing care.
Trust Him, for He will be with you in battle,
Lighting your path to avoid every snare.
Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord; And be of good courage, for He is your guide. Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord; And be of good courage, for He is your guide. Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord; And rejoice for the vict’ry is yours.
Be strong in the Lord, and be of good courage;
Your mighty commander will vanquish the foe.
Fear not the battle, for the victory is always His;
He will protect you wherever you go.
Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord; And be of good courage, for He is your guide. Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord; And be of good courage, for He is your guide. Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord; And rejoice for the vict’ry is yours.
Ian’s Bird of the Week – Yellowhammer ~ by Ian Montgomery
Newsletter ~ 2-17-14
Continuing the theme of finches and finch-like birds here’s a photo of a male Yellowhammer along the same lane in Co. Louth as the Eurasian Bullfinch. The Yellowhammer is a bunting and belongs to the family Emberizidae, which includes the New World Sparrows.
When the first photo was taken, the Hawthorn was in full bloom. The second photo was taken 12 days later – on the same day as last week’s Bullfinches – and the Hawthorn is almost finished. Yellowhammers have a characteristic rapid slightly nasal song often rendered as ‘little bit of bread and NO cheese’ with the ‘NO’ higher and the ‘cheese’ lower and longer than the other notes. Sadly, European populations of Yellowhammers have suffered from intensive farming and the removal of hedges.
Like many other European, or more strictly ‘British’ songbirds, Yellowhammers have been introduced into New Zealand where they have done well. Vagrants from the New Zealand population have been recorded on rare occasions on Lord Howe Island, so the Yellowhammer is the only member of the family on the Australian List. The third photo was taken in New Zealand when I was searching at a known site for the extremely rare Black Stilt on the Ahuriri River in the Waitaki Valley on the South Island. I had just parked nearby but stopped to take the Yellowhammer photo on the principle of a bird in the hand . .
In fact, less than ten minutes later I took this photo, which featured as bird of the week three days after I’d taken the photos (I couldn’t wait to show it off!).
The sharp-eyed among you would have noticed that the sequence number of the Black Stilt is 44 greater than that of the Yellowhammer so it was a busy ten minutes and you might wonder what featured in the intervening photos. Well, they were of a smart New Zealand tern called the Black-fronted as there was a small colony of them nesting in the pebbles beside the river. That hasn’t featured as bird of the week, so I’ll hold it over till next time.
also seven each of birds of the air, male and female, to keep the species alive on the face of all the earth. (Genesis 7:3 NKJV)
The Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae. It is common in all sorts of open areas with some scrub or trees and form small flocks in winter.
The Yellowhammer is a robust 15.5–17 cm long bird, with a thick seed-eater’s bill. The male has a bright yellow head, yellow underparts, and a heavily streaked brown back. The female is much duller, and more streaked below. The familiar, if somewhat monotonous, song of the cock is often described as A little bit of bread and no cheese, although the song varies greatly in space. Its name is thought to be from the German word ammer meaning bunting.
Its natural diet consists of insects when feeding young, and otherwise seeds. The nest is on the ground. 3-6 eggs are laid, which show the hair-like markings characteristic of those of buntings.
Red-crested Turaco (Tauraco erythrolophus) Brevard Zoo by Lee
Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! (Psalms 107:28-31 KJV)
Having problems with computer and under sever weather alert. Will get a real article up soon.
And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. (Revelation 21:19-20 KJV)
Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? (Matthew 21:42 KJV)
And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. (Mark 16:4 KJV)
Siberian Stonechat (Saxicola maurus) by Nikhil Devasar
And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, (Luke 22:41 KJV)
For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: (Acts 17:28-30 KJV)
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. (Revelation 2:17 KJV)
And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. (Revelation 4:3 KJV)
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. (Isaiah 28:16 KJV)
According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. (1 Corinthians 3:10-13 KJV)
*
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
*
Jesus Rolled Back The Stone from the Hyssongs’ “Expecting Miracles” Album
(Music and photos are used by permission. If copied, you must obtain permission also.)
Observe and consider the ravens; for they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn; and [yet] God feeds them. Of how much more worth are you than the birds!
(Luke 12:24 AMP)
It would be interesting to hear from those readers who go birdwatching or watch birds, even if it is only from your window. Consider leaving comments so that we can understand that there are various methods.
As for me, my ways of birdwatching have changed over the years. First, I became more aware of the birds around me by a naturalist at a local park in south Florida. We started with simple things like not staring at a tree, but use “soft eyes” to watch for movement. After that, she showed me how to hold and adjust the binoculars. What a difference that made. Notes and a good bird book came next. The rest is history. I love birds and enjoy seeing how beautifully they were created.
Over time, I wanted to see how many birds I could get on a list. Many people like to birdwatch this way. They will go to great heights (literally) to find a new bird for their list. I would put Ian in that category. Don’t you just enjoy reading about his birdwatching adventures.
Dan searching for something to photograph
Many like Dan, Ian, and our other photographers enjoy the challenge of photography. It is not always easy to get a great photo, especially when the birds don’t wait for you to get all the settings right.
Lee at Lake Morton by Dan
Some like to feed the wildlife at home or a park and watch whoever shows up at that location.
Then you have every thing in between. Some enjoy going on birdwatching trips with other birders. This can be very helpful when you are just learning about the birds.
Chestnut-breasted Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus curvirostris) Palm Beach Zoo by Lee
Today, I have mellowed somewhat. Between an issue with my feet and legs, I can no longer walk great distances. My age is also becoming a factor. I enjoy watching birds wherever they are including the Zoos. Those are easier for me to handle and actually, get to see the birds for longer periods of time and at closer ranges. That also allows me to see birds from other areas that I will never be able to get to.
I think I am actually becoming a bird “watcher.” I enjoy just seeing what they are up to or how they are put together. Like those feet I mentioned in the last article. Finding Birds in the Bible and Birds in Hymns are also pleasurable for me.
Black-bellied Whistling Duck Feet by Lee at PB Zoo
Is any one way of birdwatching any better than another? Not to my way of thinking. They are all fine methods and there are plenty of birds out there for all of us to enjoy.
What is your method or what gives you the most enjoyment when you are out on a “birdwatching adventure”?
We keep encountering Whistling Ducks as we visit the zoos and as we go birdwatching, especially at Circle B Bar Reserve. There we get to see the Black-bellied Whistling Ducks quite frequently. At Palm Beach Zoo, I got tickled at the feet of the Black-bellieds. This week at Lowry Park Zoo, we took photos of their Spotted Whistling Duck which are fairly new residents.
Spotted Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna guttata) by Lee at LPZ
I checked the e-Sword Bible program and can not find any “Ducks” or “Waterfowl” in Scripture by name, only in references to all birds being created, etc. They are still neatly created birds and are a joy to watch.
Black-bellied Whistling Duck Feet by Lee at PB Zoo
There are three verses that refer to a “whistle” and in all of them it is the Lord who is doing the whistling.
He will lift up a banner to the nations from afar, And will whistle to them from the end of the earth; Surely they shall come with speed, swiftly. (Isaiah 5:26 NKJV) (For judgment)
And it shall come to pass in that day That the LORD will whistle for the fly That is in the farthest part of the rivers of Egypt, And for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. (Isaiah 7:18 NKJV) (For judgment)
I will whistle for them and gather them, For I will redeem them; And they shall increase as they once increased. (Zechariah 10:8 NKJV) (for redemption)
Whistling ducks are found in the tropics and subtropics. As their name implies, they have distinctive whistling calls. The whistling ducks have long legs and necks, and are very gregarious, flying to and from night-time roosts in large flocks. Both sexes have the same plumage, and all have a hunched appearance and black underwings in flight.
The first whistling ducks were described by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae in 1758: the Black-bellied Whistling Duck (then Anas autumnalis) and the West Indian Whistling Duck (then Anas arborea). In 1837, William John Swainson named the genus Dendrocygna to distinguish whistling ducks from the other waterfowl.
The whistling ducks or tree ducks are a subfamily, Dendrocygninae of the duck, goose and swan family of birds, Anatidae. They are not true ducks. In other taxonomic schemes, they are either considered a separate family Dendrocygnidae, or a tribe Dendrocygnini in the goose subfamily Anserinae. The subfamily has one genus, Dendrocygna, which contains eight living species, and one undescribed extinct species from Aitutaki of the Cook Islands.
The eight species of whistling duck are currently recognized in the genus Dendrocygna. However, Johnsgard considers the White-backed Duck (Thalassornis leuconotus) from Africa and Madagascar to be distinct ninth species, a view first proposed in 1960 and initially supported by behavioral similarities. Later, similarities in anatomy, duckling vocalizations, and feather proteins gave additional support. Molecular analysis in 2009 also suggested that the White-backed Duck was nested within the whistling duck clade. (Wikipedia with editing)
When we entered the Lowry Park Zoo today, we were greeted by the Barred Owl being displayed on a handler’s gloved hand. What a beautiful owl. She was so calm as all the kids and us older ones enjoyed seeing her so close.
It was time to renew our annual pass, so off we went to the zoo even, though it was a dreary light rainy day. We didn’t have lots of snow like many of you up north, so, I am not complaining, and the Barred Owl was a nice addition to the visit. We have introduced the Barred Owl several years ago, but am sharing her again.
Identification Tips:
Length: 17 inches Wingspan: 44 inches
Sexes similar
Rather large owl
Dark eyes and yellow bill
Back brown, mottled with pale spots and dark bars
Underparts pale with long, brown streaks
Chest pale with brown barring
Face pale with dark concentric rings surrounding eye
*
Here are all the verses in the King James Version of the Bible that mention owls.
*
Owl
Leviticus 11:16 And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind,
Leviticus 11:17 And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl,
Deuteronomy 14:15 And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind,
Deuteronomy 14:16 The little owl, and the great owl, and the swan,
Psalm 102:6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.
Isaiah 34:11 But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it; the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it: and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, and the stones of emptiness.
Isaiah 34:14 The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the wild beasts of the island, and the satyr shall cry to his fellow; the screech owl also shall rest there, and find for herself a place of rest.
Isaiah 34:15 There shall the great owl make her nest, and lay, and hatch, and gather under her shadow: there shall the vultures also be gathered, every one with her mate.
Owls
Job 30:29 I am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls.
Isaiah 13:21 But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.
Isaiah 34:13 And thorns shall come up in her palaces, nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof: and it shall be an habitation of dragons, and a court for owls.
Isaiah 43:20 The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.
Jeremiah 50:39 Therefore the wild beasts of the desert with the wild beasts of the islands shall dwell there, and the owls shall dwell therein: and it shall be no more inhabited for ever; neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation.
Micah 1:8 Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked: I will make a wailing like the dragons, and mourning as the owls.
Ian’s Bird of the Week – Eurasian Bullfinch ~ by Ian Montgomery
Newsletter – 2/3/14
In response to last week’s photos of the Chestnut-breasted Mannikin, I received a photo of an American Evening Grosbeak – thank you Jeff – with a similar large pale finch bill. Typical Northern Hemisphere finches such as the Evening Grosbeak belong to the family Fringillidae while all the native Australian finches belong to the family Estrildidae, so I thought it might be of interest to say a little about finch taxonomy and change, as what we think of as typical finch seed-eating bills appear to have arisen independently in more than one instance.
So, this week’s bird is for a change a Fringillid finch, the Eurasian Bullfinch and a favourite of mine since I was a birding teenager in Ireland many years ago. the male is perhaps the most colourful of European song birds and it was always, and still is, a thrill for me to see one. They aren’t uncommon, but are secretive and usually occur in pairs rather than flocks so are easy to overlook unless you look out for their characteristic white rumps as they fly out of the thick foliage of hedges, probably their favourite habitat.
Eurasian Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) by Ian
The bird in the first two photos is feeding on the flowers of the Blackthorn and both its English name and its scientific one Prunus spinosa reveal why it is a popular hedge shrub for stock, having been around a lot longer than barbed wire. It has other uses to including making Blackthorn walking sticks and clubs, such as Shillelaghs. It produces an attractive look fruit called sloes, which look a bit like black grapes but are very astringent.
(edited)
Eurasian Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) Female by Ian
Back to Bullfinches. The female, third photo, has a latte-coloured breast instead of a salmon pink one, but is just as elegant and was the partner of the male in the other two photos. The hedge in question is near my sister’s house in Co. Louth in an area (below) where there are still plenty of hedges and is good for other song birds like Yellowhammers and Winter Wrens.
Recent DNA work has shed some light on the inter-relationships between various families of song birds with thick seed-eating bills, the most familiar of which are the Fringillid finches, the Estrildid finches, the Eurasian Sparrows (Passeridae), the Buntings and North American Sparrows (Emberizidae). These were originally ascribed to the same superfamily Passeroidea by Sibley and Ahlquist (1990) and that grouping is still largely intact but includes other families that do not have thick bills, including the Sunbirds and Flowerpeckers such as the Mistletoebird (Nectariniidae), the Pipits and Eurasian Wagtails (Motacillidae) and the New World Wood Warblers (Parulidae).
In case all this taxonomic detail leaves you cold, I’ve included links to the all the families mentioned on the Birdway website so can check out the photos instead. The sharp-eyed among you will notice that the BirdLife International sequence of families on the website is not quite the same as the order here. That’s because it predates the latest sequence which I’ve extracted from a 2012 paper on global bird diversity in Nature by Jetz et al. No doubt the grouping and order will change again in the future.
And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. (Luke 14:23)
What a beautifully colored bird and, of course, Ian took great photos. Even Ian gets into the “taxonomic detail.” Those recent DNA work he mentioned is shaking up the birding community. These studies keeping bird guide book writers busy.
The Bullfinch is a bulky bull-headed bird. The upper parts are grey; the flight feathers and short thick bill are black; as are the cap and face in adults (they are greyish-brown in juveniles), and the white rump and wing bars are striking in flight. The adult male has red underparts, but females and young birds have grey-buff underparts. The song of this unobtrusive bird contains fluted whistles.
Lee's Birdwatching Adventures Plus 
