Birdwatching Trips – Circle B Bar Reserve

Roseate Spoonbill

Roseate Spoonbill by Dan

Time gets away from me and I realized that two trips were made to the Circle B Bar that were never written about. So I am going to combine the two. On February 24th and the on March 10th we made our way to one of the neatest places to bird here in central Florida. Both days were cloudless and cool but nice. The biggest problem out there right now is that we are in draught conditions and some of the water holes are drying. It seems the birds that like shallower water are finding  it great, but some have moved on.

White Pelicans at distance with friends

One group of White Pelicans at distance with friends

The highlight of both trips were the White Pelicans. There numbers were in the 1000’s. I gave up counting after 1,000 and found out that a week earlier over 5,000 had been counted. It was neat to watch them lift up in groups and circle abit until they got in their V-formations and then head off. It was awesome to watch. My other joy was watching my first Common Yellowthroat that I had seen up close. He looks like a “yellow bandito” with a black mask (The picture is blurry, but you can see him). We also spot a “huge” alligator and an otter. Below is a list of what was spotted on those two trips. We were with some home schoolers on one of those trips, so we were training as well as looking. There are many more birds to see out there. My life list is up to 73 out there, plus the ones I couldn’t ID.

White Pelicans by Lee

White Pelicans by Lee

Mottled Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Bobwhite
Pied-billed Grebe
American White Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
White Ibis
Glossy Ibis

Common Yellowthroat

Common Yellowthroat

Roseate Spoonbill
Wood Stork
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Red-shouldered Hawk
Purple Gallinule
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Killdeer
Lesser Yellowlegs
Wilson’s Snipe
Mourning Dove

Red-shouldered Hawk

Red-shouldered Hawk by Dan

Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue Jay
Tree Swallow
Tufted Titmouse
Sedge Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Northern Mockingbird
Palm Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Boat-tailed Grackle

For more visits to Circle B Bar Reserve

Birds of the Bible – Foundation #3

We will continue on with the Birds of the Bible – Foundation series.

If you have not read the previous blogs:
Foundation #1
Foundation #2

In the last blog the “Fall” of Adam and Eve was mentioned and because of that, the “Curse” is now on them and all of God’s creation. Death comes on the scene, mankind now has sinned and now each person is born as a sinner. The ground is cursed and thorns and thistle now appear.

By Genesis Chapter 6, God has had it with the sins of man.

And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. (Genesis 6:5-7 KJV)

The Ark by Elfred Lee

The Ark by Elfred Lee

All is not lost because, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” (Genesis 6:8 KJV) Because of the grace found by Noah, the LORD gives him instructions about how to build an ark including the size, materials to use, who and what will be on board, and why the ark will be needed. God makes a covenant with Noah and tells him to come in with his wife and his sons and his son’s wives.

And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female. Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive. (Genesis 6:19-20 KJV)

He was also to provide food for all of them. And Noah obeyed all that he was told. Noah spent over 100 years preparing the ark and trying to warn others of the coming judgment. There was plenty of room on the ark for more than the 8 people who boarded the ark. The others refused to repent.

When we get to Chapter 7, the boarding of the ark takes place and the rain and flood begins. “And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth. For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth. And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him.” (Genesis 7:1-5)

Noah did not have to round up the animals, they came to him. Because not every animal we see today came on board but the main kinds (for instance the “bird kinds” may have had a “warbler kind” but not have black and white warblers,yellow-rumped warblers, hooded warbler, etc.), which ever ones they were, there was plenty of room for them. I have an idea that because the LORD sent the animals, birds, and critters, that their DNA’s were of the highest quality. (That is my opinion)

Dove in Israel

Doves in Israel

If you read the rest of Genesis 7, you will see that the global flood came and covered everything and only those who were in the ark survived, plus some of those that live in the water.

And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark. (Genesis 7:21-23)

In Foundation #4 we will find out about what the birds go through as they come off the ark and after.

Amazing Free-Flying Bald Eagle “Challenger” (AEF)

I received this in an e-mail, and felt compelled to reproduce it here. It is worth viewing. It is on YouTube.

“Read the narrative before viewing.

If this does not give you goose bumps, you had better see a doctor.

This is an awesome music video… Featuring a special free-flying Bald Eagle named ‘Challenger’ (in honor of the lost space shuttle crew) cared for by the non-profit American Eagle Foundation (AEF).

He’s a ‘human socialized’ bird accidentally raised by the people who rescued him – after being blown from a wild Louisiana nest in a storm as a baby in the late 1980s. Declared ‘non-releasable’ by federal and state wildlife authorities, he was trained by the AEF to perform educational free-flight demonstrations at high profile public events.

He’s the first Bald Eagle in U.S. History that learned to free-fly into stadiums, arenas and ballrooms during the singing of the Star Spangled Banner. The celebrity eagle has appeared at numerous major sporting events… Like the World Series, Pro-Bowl, All-Star game, BCS National Championship, Fiesta Bowl and Men’s Final Four, etc.

Challenger has also flown before 4 U.S. Presidents! His life story is told in a children’s storybook titled ‘Challenger, America ‘s Favorite Eagle.’

Turn on your speakers and click on link below.”

Happy 49th Birthday!

Best Day of my LifeToday, March 20th, 2009, is my 49th Birthday! Not my original birth birthday, but my spiritual birthday. On March 20th of 1960, which was a Sunday, I attended Crossroads Baptist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana at the invite of my sister and her husband. I decided to go that day, to break a record of attending church more than once a year, usually on Easter Sunday. That day became one that would totally change my life and its direction.

My sister, Sharry, and Joe, her husband, had recently received the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior and had been witnessing to me. We were not raised in a home that went to church regularly, but only taken occasionally. I really had no idea about being a sinner nor about John 3:16, “For  God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” I knew that at 16, I did things that were not right and that there was something lacking in my life.

So, there I was, listening to the sermon by Rev. Charlie Kittrell. As he gave his message I realized that I was a sinner, (“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” Romans 3:10), there was a penalty for sin and also a gift of salvation (For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23), and that I needed to ask forgiveness for my sins and accept the Lord as my Savior. (“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation,” Romans 10:9-10). When the invitation was given, I went forward and a lady showed me how to accept the Lord, and I did.

For the rest of this:   Happy 49th Birthday!

Peterson Field Guide – Videos

Ring-necked Duck at Lake Morton by Dan

Ring-necked Duck at Lake Morton by Dan

I finally got all the current “Peterson Field Guide” – Videos posted and they are all indexed on the following page. I trust you will watch them and some of the additional links provided here on this site.

The Videos are very good and you can learn much from them. Hopefully, they will be producing more. If so, they will also be added to this blog. Again, Peterson Field Guides has recently begun producing short videos on YouTube. Birdwatching was advanced greatly because of Roger Tory Peterson. I have several of the Peterson Field Guides and use them very frequently.

Peterson Field Guide Video Series

“Peterson Field Guide” Videos is from petersonfieldguides at YouTube


Finches

 

Finches are a diverse group united by their short, heavy bills designed for cracking seeds as well as a tendency toward bright colors and cheerful songs.

 

Back to the Peterson Field Guide Video Series

“Finches” Video is from petersonfieldguides at YouTube

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Sparrows

Sparrows are a family that deserve a second look. Often maligned as being dull-colored and confusing, with a little study sparrows become a favorite of many birdwatchers.

 

Back to the Peterson Field Guide Video Series

“Sparrows” Video is from petersonfieldguides at YouTube


See Also:
Birds of the Bible – Sparrows I
Birds of the Bible – Sparrows II
Eye of the Beholder – House Sparrows
Birds in Hymns – His Eye Is On The Sparrow

Northern Cardinal

A serious contender for the title of “Most Brilliant Backyard Bird,” the Northern Cardinal is on just about everyone’s list of favorite birds.

 

Back to the Peterson Field Guide Video Series

“Northern Cardinal” Video is from petersonfieldguides at YouTube


See Also:

Michael Cardinal


Warblers

Tiny, restless, and often stunningly beautiful, the warblers are a reliable source of joy and occasional frustration for birdwatchers in the New World.

 

Back to the Peterson Field Guide Video Series

“Warblers” Video is from petersonfieldguides at YouTube


American Robin

Roger Tory Peterson referred to the American Robin as the one bird that everybody knows, but there’s more to this species than its trademark orange breast.

 

Back to the Peterson Field Guide Video Series

“American Robin” Video is from petersonfieldguides at YouTube


 

Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers are surely one of the most distinctive families of birds, hitching their way up trees, chiseling out their food with specially designed bills and reinforced skulls. Woodpeckers tend to be attractively clad in bold patterns of black, white, and red.

 

Back to the Peterson Field Guide Video Series

“Woodpeckers” Video is from petersonfieldguides at YouTube


See Also:
God’s Amazing Pileated Woodpecker

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