Tag Archives: Creation

Gatorland II – Great Egrets at the Nest

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Great Egret on Nest at Gatorland

Great Egret on Nest at Gatorland

If a bird’s nest happens to be before you along the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, with the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young; (Deuteronomy 22:6 NKJV)

I have been saving the Great Egrets because they were so numerous. They were absolutely spectacular in the breeding plumage. This first article is about the Great Egrets on the nest. They were either sitting, building, improving or exchanging mates sitting on the eggs. Later I will show the one that has already been born and then on Sunday, plans are to show the beautiful plumage as a Sunday Inspiration.

Great Egret on Nest at Gatorland

Great Egrets in Breeding Plumage on Nest at Gatorland

There were not that many species represented at Gatorland (which are not captives), but what was there has left me awed by the way Our Creator has provided for the birds. He commanded them to reproduce and these birds put on quite a show to impress their mates. Their Maker has given them the ability to grow extra feathers, change the colors on their beaks and feet, and some birds have eyes that change color. Wow! Praise the Lord for His love and care for them. How much more love has He shown to us.

Great Egret on Nest at Gatorland

Great Egret on Nest at Gatorland

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31-32 NKJV)

Enjoy these photos of Great Egrets on their nest and then a video of “the changing of the guard” at one of the nest I was able to witness. (Click on a thumbnail to see photos full screen)

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See the Gatorland Birdwatching Page

Gatorland in Orlando

Falling Plates

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Gatorland’s Snowy Egrets

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Snowy Egret in Breeding Plumage at Gatorland by Dan

Snowy Egret in Breeding Plumage at Gatorland by Dan

Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you: birds and cattle and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, so that they may abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth. (Genesis 8:17 NKJV)

In yesterday’s blog, I told about the alligators at Gatorland. Today, we continue with the Snowy Egrets which are there in the rookery. The “rookery” or a place where lots of birds gather to build nest, court, mate and raise their young at Gatorland is protected by the gators. Birds like to find small islands or areas that are protected from animals or snakes that eat the young. When the rookery is surrounded by gators, they have much protection. The alligators get their “pay” by catching the young that accidentally fall from the nest. It is not perfect for the birds, but it does allow them to raise most of their young.

Snowy Egret - Noticd the Red when breeding by Lee

Snowy Egret – Noticd the Red when breeding by Lee

All the birds in the nesting area are wild birds and not captives. They are free to come and go as they please. Right now, they please to be there to raise their young. This is prime time breeding season at Gatorland.

Even Feet Get Reddish Tint - Snowy Egret at Gatorland by Lee

Even Feet Get Reddish Tint – Snowy Egret at Gatorland by Lee

Here are some of the photos of the Snowy Egrets from yesterday. The top one was a great catch by Dan. Isn’t the Lord amazing in how He created these birds. Their feathers are so beautiful and it is neat how some of their parts change color.

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Gatorland – March 2014 ~ I

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Gators at Gatorland

Gators at Gatorland

Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. (Genesis 1:24 NKJV)

Today we drove over to Gatorland in Orlando. We had heard that the “rookery” was hopping with birds making nest, courting, mating, and raising babies.Spring is in the air.

We were not disappointed. We were over there last year, Vol 2, #6 – The American Flamingo, and I showed some of the Flamingos. They are still there, plus lots of Gators. We saw one crocodile also. What was so neat about thsi trip was the “rookery” which I will share later. With over 500 photos to sort through, I decided to show some of the gators and a really neat video I made of some acting like taxis.

Gatorland has been there for many years and as a bird lover, it is a super place to visit. In fact, I went to Gatorland as a kid with my mother almost 60 years ago. Needless to say, it has changed over the years, but they still have lots of gators.

Jumperoo Show - Dan caught this one taking the chicken

Jumperoo Show – Dan caught this one taking the chicken

They have shows like the Jumparoo where they get the gators to jump up to get some chicken (dead of course). It is an interesting place to visit and reasonably priced.

Here are some of the photos from today of alligators.

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I couldn’t believe these Great Egrets that were using the Alligators as a Taxi. They were even chasing one another off so they could catch a ride.

Gators at Gatorland - Great Egrets catching a ride by Lee

Gators at Gatorland – Great Egrets catching a ride

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Here are some videos I made of them catching a “Taxi”

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Sunday Inspiration – Thrushes

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American Robin (Turdus migratorius) by S Slayton

American Robin (Turdus migratorius) by S Slayton

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.

(Yes, the American Robin is a Thrush.)

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“I Love You Lord” – Faith Baptist Church Orchestra

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Other Families with Thrushes:

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Nuggets Plus – Variety

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Sarus Crane (Grus antigone) by Lee at Wings of Asia

Sarus Crane (Grus antigone) by Lee at Wings of Asia

Today while doing my daily reading , I came across two verses that caused me to think about the varieties of birds and our talents.

Nuggets Plus

Nuggets Plus

And David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God—my God—will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD. Here are the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God; and every willing craftsman will be with you for all manner of workmanship, for every kind of service; also the leaders and all the people will be completely at your command. (1 Chronicles 28:20-21 NKJV)

Magnificent Hummingbird (Eugenes fulgens) by Judd Patterson

Magnificent Hummingbird (Eugenes fulgens) by Judd Patterson

David was handing over the kingdom to Solomon, his son, who was young. David had wanted to build a temple for The LORD, but was told no, but that Solomon would be the one to build the temple.

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) at Bok Tower By Dan'sPix

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) at Bok Tower By Dan’sPix

David is explaining this to Solomon and the people of Israel. He was encouraging his son and also the people and reminding them of these promises from God:

  • Be strong
  • of good courage
  • do it
  • not fear
  • nor be dismayed
  • LORD God—my God—will be with you
  • not leave you
  • nor forsake you,
  • until you have finished all the work

Then in the next verse (21) he explains the different division (variety) of work to be done:

  • every willing craftsman
  • for all manner of workmanship
  • for every kind of service;
  • also the leaders and all the people will be completely at your command.
House Sparrow by Ray

House Sparrow by Ray

Isn’t it amazing when we see all the variety in the birds the Lord Created? They are all birds, but they vary so much in height, width, color, beaks, feet, behavior, the way and place they build their nest, etc, etc.

Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii) by Ian

Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii) by Ian

How about us? We are all different and each have different talents and abilities. Our interest vary. Many of our readers are bloggers, yet each of us do it differently.

Birdwatchers vary in how they view the birds. Some like to view the birds through a camera, binoculars, just their eyes. Some make list of all kinds, some never bother. There really isn’t a right way or wrong way to watch birds, unless you are doing something harmful to the birds.

Keel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus) by Margaret Sloan

Keel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus) by Margaret Sloan

In the Christian realm, again, we are all different and there is so much variety in our talents and abilities, yet the Lord gave them to us.

Are we willing to use them?

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Carolina Wren at Myakka River State Park

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Embed from Getty Images
Carolina Wren

The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; (Song of Solomon 2:12 KJV)

I am testing a new feature that WordPress has just made available for bloggers. We can now “embed” photos from Getty Images into articles. They have a wealth of photos, but unless embedded, can be expensive to use.

Since I chased the Carolina Wren at Myakka River SP all over the place with my camera and never got a photo, I turned on the video and recorded its sound. I have converted it to an MP3 and borrowed some of Getty’s great photos. Here is another of the neat birds that the Lord gave such a pretty song to.

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Embed from Getty Images
Carolina Wren

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Carolina Wrens belong to the Troglodytidae – Wrens Family. The Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) is a common species of wren, resident in the eastern half of the USA, the extreme south of Ontario, Canada, and the extreme northeast of Mexico. A distinct population in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, Belize and extreme north of Guatemala is treated either as a subspecies Thryothorus ludovicianus albinucha, or as a separate species, White-browed Wren (Thryothorus albinucha) . The Carolina Wren is the state bird of South Carolina; its specific name ludovicianus means “from Louisiana”.

Embed from Getty Images
Carolina Wren

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The upperparts are rufous brown, and the underparts a strong orange-buff, usually unmarked but faintly barred on the flanks in the southwest of the range. The head has a striking pure white supercilium (eyebrow) and a whitish throat. The race albinucha is duller brown above and has additional white streaking on the head.

It is easiest to confuse with the Bewick’s Wren, a fairly close relative, which differs in being smaller but with a longer tail, grayer-brown above and whiter below. The Carolina and White-browed Wrens differ from the House Wren in being larger, with a decidedly longer bill and hind toe.

House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) by Ian

House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) by Ian (Not Getty)

The Carolina Wren is noted for its loud song, popularly rendered as “teakettle-teakettle-teakettle”. This song is rather atypical among wrens and closely resembles that of the Kentucky Warbler which shares much of its range. A given bird will typically sing several different songs. Only the male birds sing their loud song. The songs vary regionally, with birds in northern areas singing more slowly than those in southern areas.

The Carolina Wren also has a series of calls, including a rapid series of descending notes in a similar timbre to its song, functioning as an alarm call, and a very harsh and loud scolding call made to threaten intruders. (Wikipedia)

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3:16 The Numbers of Hope

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Myakka River State Park – March 4th

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Myakka River SP

Myakka River SP

let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:22-23 NKJV)

Yesterday we rode down to Myakka River State Park, then over to an Amish restuarant in Sarasota and back. A birdwatching adventure of almost 200 miles .  What a beautiful the Lord gave to see some more of His Creation.

As Dan drives I keep a list of the birds spotted. Just finished posting them to eBird. Counting the State Park and the different county lists, we saw a total of 43 species today. Not bad.

This was sort of a survey trip to check out the park. We have never been there before. We spotted 23 species there and saw lots of alligators floating in their lake. It was foggy driving down and it was starting to clear some by the time we arrived. At the first little pond the water was quite reflective. Myakka is the largest park in the State system.

Great Blue Heron by Lee Myakka SP

Great Blue Heron by Lee Myakka SP

Actually, compared to Circle B Bar Reserve, which is only about 5 miles from the house, it was sparse on birds. Guess we have gotten spoiled having Circle B so close.

But still, it was an enjoyable trip. I was able to get a photo of a Catbird and chased a Northern Parula with my camera all over the place. Finally got a bad shot which at least help nail down the ID. A Carolina Wren was singing away, but never got a decent shot of him either. Also saw 9 Wild Turkeys.

On the ride down, my highlight was spotting 4 Crested Caracaras and 5 Belted Kingfishers. Of course since we were traveling, no photos taken.

Haven’t gone through all photos yet, but here are a few from yesterday.

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Taxonomic order – 04 Mar 2014
1 Wild Turkey – 9
2 Pied-billed Grebe – 1
3 Wood Stork – 4
4 Double-crested Cormorant – 1
5 Great Blue Heron – 2
6 Great Egret – 2
7 Snowy Egret – 1
8 Little Blue Heron – 1
9 Tricolored Heron – 1
10 Cattle Egret – 53
11 White Ibis – 25
12 Glossy Ibis – 1
13 Black Vulture – 35
14 Turkey Vulture – 11
15 Osprey – 21
16 Red-shouldered Hawk – 2
17 Red-tailed Hawk – 1
18 Common Gallinule – 4
19 American Coot – 1
20 Limpkin – 1
21 Sandhill Crane – 2
22 Eurasian Collared-Dove – 1
23 White-winged Dove – 1
24 Mourning Dove – 5
25 Belted Kingfisher – 5
26 Downy Woodpecker – 1
27 Crested Caracara – 4
28 American Kestrel – 1
29 Loggerhead Shrike – 2
30 Blue Jay – 3
31 American Crow – 1
32 Fish Crow – 6
33 Tree Swallow – 10
34 Carolina Wren – 3
35 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – 2
36 Gray Catbird – 2
37 Northern Mockingbird – 2
38 Northern Parula – 1
39 Palm Warbler – 4
40 Yellow-rumped Warbler – 3
41 Red-winged Blackbird – 1
42 Common Grackle – 3
43 Boat-tailed Grackle – 8

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Golden Eagle – Noah and the Dove

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Mourning Dove by Reinier Munguia

Mourning Dove by Reinier Munguia

Noah and the Dove ~

Golden Eagle

Golden Eagle ©PD

Golden Eagle ©PD

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.

White Dove ©©

White Dove ©©

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!!!

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Keep A Journal

Bible Birds – Doves and Pigeons

More from Golden Eagle

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Sunday Inspiration – Owls

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Indian Scops Owl (Otus bakkamoena) pair by Nikhil Devasar

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)

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How Great Thou Art by Sean Fielder (from Faith Baptist Church)

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More Sunday Inspiration:

Birds of the Bible – Owls

Assurance: The Certainty of Salvation

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Lemmings Fuel Biggest Snowy-owl Migration in 50 years – Re-post

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Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) Female in Florida 2013-2014 ©©minds-eye

Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) Female in Florida 2013-2014 ©©minds-eye

the little owl, the fisher owl, and the screech owl; the white owl, the jackdaw, and the carrion vulture; (Leviticus 11:17-18 NKJV)

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Matthew 6:26 NKJV)

Here is a very interesting article about the Snowy Owls being spotted so much this winter. It is from the Focusing On Wildlife blog.

For the lowly Arctic lemming, life is cruel. In a flash before death, often the last things a lemming sees are the deadly talons of a majestic . A mass sacrifice of this rodent with stubby legs probably gave rise to what scientists are calling the largest snowy-owl irruption in at least half a century. The gleaming white birds poured out of Canada this winter to points throughout the eastern US, captivating birdwatchers, scientists and people who had never seen them up close.

For the rest of the article – CLICK HERE

Wordless Birds

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Interesting Things – Not So Bird-Brained

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Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) Sleeping by Lee at Circle B

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) Sleeping by Lee

NOT SO BIRD-BRAINED ~ by Creation Moments

So God created . . . every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:21)

How do you take a much-needed nap or get a good night’s sleep when you must be alert to danger? Human beings designate people to stay awake and watch for danger when they sleep. Then, they set up warning systems.

SmileyCentral.com

Since birds are much more vulnerable to danger, God gave them the ability to do these things on a simple scale, and then He gave them one more amazing gift. Many birds are able to put half of their brain to sleep, while the other half stays awake and alert. The eye that serves the sleeping half even closes, while the eye that serves the waking half of the brain stays alert, searching for danger. After the first sleeping half is nicely rested, it wakes up, and the other half goes to sleep. Of course, these birds can also put both sides of the brain to sleep at the same time, just as we do. Whales, seals and dolphins are among the non-birds that can half-brain sleep as well.

Evidence of the clever design of this half-brain sleep ability can be seen in the fact that where two birds sleep next to each other, each bird will put the half of the brain that faces its partner to sleep. Once that half is rested, they change places, so the other half of their brain can sleep.

When Scripture tells us that God looked at His creation and declared it “good,” God’s standard for good is perfection. His ingenious design, which would allow birds to protect themselves even when sin and death entered the creation, is part of the goodness of God’s creation.

Prayer:
I thank You, Lord, that You made a creation perfect and so beautiful that even in could not completely destroy it. Amen.

Notes:
S. Milius, Half-asleep birds choose which half dozes, Science News, February 6, 1999, v.155, p.86

©Creation Moments

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Largest Creature on Earth ~ from Creation Moments

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Skeleton of a blue whale

And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:21)

Many people think that the greatest of the dinosaurs were the largest creatures ever to live on Earth. But while a few of the very largest dinosaurs may have been longer than the blue whale, the blue whale has the largest actual body size of any creature that ever lived.

The blue whale can reach a length of 100 feet and weigh up to 170 tons. That’s about as much as a whole town of twenty-seven hundred people! It has to eat a million calories a day, which is equivalent to about 1,000 banana splits. The blue whale’s tongue weighs more than an elephant and its arteries are big enough for a man to swim through. Its heart, which has to pump the whale’s entire supply of eight tons of blood, weighs 1,000 pounds.

In addition to its great size, the whale is intelligent. Besides showing forth God’s great creative power and imagination, the whale also shows us that neither size nor other standards of human measurement give us an indication of how God places value on things. Though we human beings are not the largest, nor the only intelligent creatures on Earth, we are the only ones responsible to God for the way we live. That is why, when sin separated us from our Creator, He sent His only Son to save and restore us to Himself.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, help me not to measure things in a worldly manner. Instead of focusing on the creation, including myself, let my focus be on You and what You have done for me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Notes:

“So You Think a Dinosaur is Big.” Does God Exist? May-June, 1989. Photo: Skeleton of a blue whale, Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Ontario. Courtesy of D. Gordon E. Robertson. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

©Creation Moments 2014

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