Tag Archives: Guest Author

Cassowary Seed Spreaders – A. J. Mithra

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Cassowary Seed Spreaders

Cassowaries eat mainly
large colorful fruits,
and they are considered
as the vital “keystone” species
cos they eat,
and therefore distribute
so many large tropical rain forest fruits.

SouthernCassowary(Casuariuscasuarius) from Wikipedia

SouthernCassowary(Casuariuscasuarius) from Wikipedia

In fact, the Southern Cassowary
is probably the single most important
seed disperser of the
Australian tropical rain forest.
So far, over 200
Australian tropical rain forest plants
have been recorded
to be eaten by cassowaries

Though the bird is hard to be seen,
their scat can be quite
common and conspicuous,
and can contain up to
1 kilogram of seeds….

The survival of the rain forests
of Australia depends upon
the survival of these birds…

Have we ever realized that
the extension of God’s kingdom
depends upon how far and wide
we sow JESUS, THE SEED?

How dare we expect to reap
goodness and mercy to follow us
all the days of our lives
when we haven’t sowed
JESUS, THE SEED??

If a bird can sow
hundreds of seeds,
in how many lives
have we sown,
JESUS,THE SEED?

He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” Psalms 126:6 (KJV)

Have a blessed day!

Yours in YESHUA,
A J Mithra

His website is CROSSTREE
More of A. J.’s articles here.

Cassowaries are in the Casuariidae Family of the Casuariiformes Order

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What Would God Say of Us? by A. J. Mithra

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What Would God Say of Us?

Birds choose to mate
only with those birds
which sing the most
complicated songs…

White-throated Sparrow by Ray

For,
they believe that
only those birds
which sing different songs,
are good at raising
and taking care of the family
and the territory…

He worshiped
and
sang for the LORD at all times…

Is that the reason why
GOD certifies David
as the one who pleases
HIS heart?

Would GOD say of us
like how HE said of David?
Most of us have complicated
Our lives.
Instead of singing,
when life turns
too complicated to handle..

If GOD chooses only those
Who sing for HIM at all times,
How many of us would
GOD select?

Yours in YESHUA,
A. J. Mithra at Crosstree

Click to see more of A. J.’s articles

Bar-tailed Godwits – Self Control

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Bar-tailed Godwits – Self Control  –  by a j mithra

Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) by Nikhil Devasar

Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) by Nikhil Devasar

With the help of
satellite tracking,
researchers found that,
Bar-tailed Godwits made
the longest non-stop flight
of any bird…
A female Bar-Tailed Godwit,
flew nonstop for eight days
and covered 7,242 miles
from Alaska to New Zealand….
These birds use
the air’s low pressure
to help them migrate
and they take advantage
of the 500 to 800 miles
of strong tailwinds
of the low pressure..
Many a time,
when we face low pressure
in life,
we feel down and out,
weak and weary,
distracted and disturbed
all along our life’s journey….

Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) by Ian

Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) by Ian

All because,
we don’t have the
fruit of self control..
We also fail to realize that
the low pressure
is the launching pad
on our quest to top…
Look at the price
this little bird had paid
to do what no one else
could do!
She didn’t eat or drink,
she didn’t shop or sleep
during her journey..
GOD paid a priceless price
for all our sins..
But,
what price are we
going to pay
to reach our destiny?
This bird neither slept
nor supped for eight long days..
Do we have that self control,
to fast at least once a week?
Do we have that self control
to keep wake all night
and pray for at least once a month?
GOD IS IN NEED OF PEOPLE
TO STAND AT THE GAP
AND PLEAD FOR ALL THOSE
DYING SOULS..
HELLOOOOO….
IS ANYONE LISTENING?

And every man that striveth in the games exerciseth self-control in all things. Now they [do it] to receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 1Corinthians 9:25 (A S V)

Have a blessed day!

Yours in YESHUA,
A. J. Mithra at Crosstree

Click to see more of A. J.’s articles

Godwits are in the Scolopacidae Family of the Charadriiformes Order

See also:
Great Travelers Have Great Stories to Tell

Intelligence of Parrots – by April Lorier

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The Intelligence of Parrots

Snickers and Mama

These were two of my birds. The blue one is ‘Mama’ and the red one is ‘Snickers’. When they were alive, I heard opera all day long. Parrots are surprisingly intelligent and have strong personalities. But they were not created in the image of God. Why? Because they do not have the spiritual capacity for a relationship with the Creator of the Universe. Only humans are triune beings: body, soul (mind, will, emotions), and spirit.

Researchers at Purdue University are demonstrating that parrots are capable of intelligent communication. Their carefully designed experiments have convinced even skeptics that the two parrots under study are not just giving conditioned responses. Their results are challenging the accepted scientific knowledge about animal intelligence and the evolutionary claim that intelligence is one of the traits that separate us from animals.

The parrots’ names are Griffin and Alex. Researchers can show Alex two triangles, one red and one green. They ask what’s different about them. Alex will answer, “Color.” When asked what’s similar about them, he will answer, “Shape.” If there is nothing similar, Alex even understands the concept of nothing. Asked what’s similar about the shapes, he will answer, “None.” Researchers say that about five percent of the time someone will mistakenly tell Alex that he has given a wrong answer when he has not. Alex, however, insists that his answer is right until the questioner discovers the mistake. (Funny!)

Both parrots can identify a wide range of objects. Both parrots are even picking up words they have not been systematically taught and are using them correctly. Once, when Griffin was having trouble pronouncing a new word, Alex turned to him and said, “Speak clearly.”

Evolutionists are now having to rethink the idea that intelligence separates us from animals. The fact that we were created in God’s image to have a spiritual relationship with Him is what really separates us from the animals.

References: Discover, 1/00, “Polly Want a PhD?” Creation Moments 2008

2010 Christian Nature

He who instructs the nations, shall He not correct, He who teaches man knowledge? Psalm 94:10

Reprinted with permission of April Lorier

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Weary of Well Doing by Donna Watkins

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While caring for her husband for 13 years, a friend also had the opportunity to care for her father in his last years. He passed on recently in her arms.

© 2007 Donna L. Watkins – Male Hooded Mergenser

Weary from the daily tasks, she finds her strength in prayer and meditation on God’s Word. But some days … well, you know how they are. You just get too weary of the well-doing to put your faith in gear.

Any caretaker role is hard. I often think it would be grand to have enough money to provide people with a good living to do the caretaking so the relative could focus only on the relationship and having fun. I often wish I were a millionaire to make life easier for many people, but then I wonder if I would be robbing them of some of their blessings and rewards. So much that we do not understand about life and living.

The rheumatoid arthritis gives me weary days but I remind myself to focus on the Isaiah 40:28-31 which I have memorized so I can close my eyes and glory in the wonder of who God is and then picture myself as strong and mighty as an eagle. Dipping down to the water and grabbing a fish like it was a leaf.

We must take as firm a grasp on the depth and breadth of God’s love for us and know He provides strength when we reach out and need it. Maybe we just don’t feel like we deserve it at the time. I find myself self-talking against the very faith that I am trying to garner from The Word. Too often I am too weary to think, but if I open myself to the Holy Spirit, He will lend me a hand to climb out.

Satan wants us to crawl into a big black hole, curse God and die! But we shall NOT! :-)

To read the rest of this very nice article – CLICK HERE

April Lorier’s Article about the Ravens

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Northern Raven (Corvus corax) by Ray

Who is Worth More – Me or Ravens?
The price of everything – that’s gas, groceries, utilities and other essentials – is going up weekly. Sometimes I feel like asking, “Are You aware of this, God? What are You going to do about this situation?

It was during one of these pessimistic periods that I thought of ravens. [I cant explain it, so don’t ask.] I decided to run a concordance search on these less-than-beautiful birds and was surprised at all the references in both the Old and New Testaments……” To see the whole article – Click Here

To see more of April’s articles here – Click Here

Some of April’s more recent articles on her site worth reading (they are all worth reading)

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Montezuma Oropendola by Donna L. Watkins

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By Donna L. Watkins (Guest Author)

© 2008 Donna L. Watkins – Montezuma Oropendola – La Selva
The Montezuma Oropendola (Psarocolius montezuma) is a New World tropical bird and I’ve been getting quite a show from the colony that is nesting here at La Selva Reserve in Costa Rica.

The unforgettable song of the male is sung during his bowing display and consists of bubbling with loud gurgles. The male, while the female is hopefully watching, will execute a complete somersault around a branch while singing his medley of tunes. (View video at bottom of article.)

Male and female both have loud calls, but the male’s display that seems like he’s pretending to be a monkey swinging on the branch, is what keeps your attention. I’ve been here 8 days now and I am still fascinated by the show. There are definitely those who outdo others. Some just don’t take the dip far enough, and others look as if they’re playing “dead man’s fall.” I just don’t know how they can get themselves back up again so gracefully.

In a rare form of non-monogamous breeding, 3-10 Montezume Oropendola males establish a colony in a tree, often isolated, and defend a group of 10-30 females that will mate and nest in the colony. (see video below)

The males engage in fighting and aggressive displays, competing among themselves to mate with the females. Usually the most dominant and heavy males mate and are fathers to most of the colony’s young.

© 2008 Donna L. Watkins – Montezuma Oropendola – Finca Luna Nueva
Male and female differ greatly in size. The male is 20″ in length (50 cm) and weighs over 18 ounces (520 gm), while the female is 15″ (38 cm) and weighs about 8 ounces.

Adult males are mostly chestnut-colored with a blackish head and rump with a show-off tail that is bright yellow. There is a bare blue cheek patch and a pink wattle that gives the bird an odd appearance, but who could resist it? Females are similar with a smaller wattle.

Its range is listed as Gulf-Caribbean slope of Southern Mexico and southern Pacific slope of Nicaragua and Costa Rica to Central Panama. It’s quite a common bird in parts of its range often seen in flocks foraging in trees for small vertebrates, large insects, nectar, and fruit. Outside the breeding season, this species moves around, so it’s fortunate for me that I am getting to enjoy them during breeding season.

The Montezuma Oropendola inhabits forest canopy, edges and old plantations. They have chosen a tree in an open area here at La Selva. They’re easily bothered while foraging, but are very confident when on their breeding tree.

Oropendolas weave a large bag-like nest 2-6 ft. long that hangs from the ends of tree branches with many on the same tree. It’s woven of fibers and vines high in a tree.

Almost always built by females who also incubate the 2 dark-spotted white or buff eggs at the bottom of the pouch for 11-14 days. The male guards the nest. The nestlings are fed by the female with the young fledging in 30 days. There are generally about 30 nests in a colony, but up to 172 have been recorded.

To imagine the size of the pouch nests that can be from 2-6 feet long, keep in mind that the male is 20 in. long and the female 15 in. I’m not sure whether it’s a male or female at the top of one of these nests, but it shows how long the pouches are regardless.

References:
Costa Rica: The Ecotravellers’ Wildlife Guide by Les Beletsky
http://www.Wikipedia.com
View La Selva photo ablum.

Provided by and with Donna’s permission.

She has a nice video at the bottom of her post – Costa Rica: Montezuma Oropendola at The Nature in Us

The Secret Only God Knows About Hummingbirds – by April Lorier

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HummingBirdSMAll of my neighbors have hummingbird feeders on their porches. Why? Well, everyone knows there’s something very special about these birds. Yes, they are birds, and there’s a secret only God knows about them.

Hummingbirds are birds in the family Trochilidae, and are native to the Americas. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings 12–90 times per second (depending on the species). They can fly backwards, and are the only group of birds able to do so.

Hummingbirds do not spend all day flying, though. They don’t have the energy for that! The majority of their activity consists simply of sitting or perching.

Hummingbirds feed in many small meals, consuming many small invertebrates and up to five times their own body weight in nectar each day. They spend an average of 10-15% of their time feeding and 75-80% sitting and digesting.

Hummingbirds feed on the nectar of plants and are important pollinators, especially of deep-throated, tubular flowers. Like bees, they are able to assess the amount of sugar in the nectar they eat; they reject flower types that produce nectar which is less than 10% sugar and prefer those whose sugar content is stronger. Nectar is a poor source of nutrients, so hummingbirds meet their needs for protein, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, etc. by preying on insects and spiders, especially when feeding young.

Their English name derives from the characteristic hum made by their rapid wing beats. They can fly at speeds exceeding 33 mph.

What is awesome about humming birds is that aerodynamically, these birds are not able to fly, and yet they do!

As scientists try to figure out how hummingbirds are flying, I think God is smiling. It’s just another thing only The Creator knows, and that’s fine with me. Life should have some mystery, don’t you think?

(c) 2009 April Lorier

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:20

Supplied by and reprinted with permission of April Lorier

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Lesson from Smallest Bird – by April Lorier

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Lesson from smallest bird”

I was sitting in my car, waiting — I do not like waiting! — and a flock of birds fluttered up to me with expectant looks and frantic behavior. There were birds of all colors, including some with vibrant yellow eyes. I watched them display their pecking order and smiled. Just like people I thought.

Their chatter increased in volume and rhythm as they tried to convince me they would settle for the smallest crumbs of anything I had to offer. I especially noticed one little bird, the smallest of the flock, because the larger birds kept belaboring the point that he was least among the birds. Poor baby, I said as I leaned towards my glove compartment. Let’s see what I can find.

Voila! There was a package of two power bars! Excitedly, I smashed them up and threw them outside the window. That started a race for the crumbs! I noticed all of the birds except one rushed for the smallest crumbs as they pushed the little one out of the way.

I kept watching, hoping he would find at least one crumb. Then a funny thing happened. The smallest bird eyed a very large piece of the power bar and snatched it up. Then he quietly waddled away.

Meanwhile, the larger birds kept frantically scrounging for more crumbs, totally unaware that the best had already been taken away.

“Look at that,” The Spirit whispered, “all of the others settled for crumbs while one bird got enough to eat on all day. How many times do you settle for crumbs?”

It was like a light bulb went off inside my soul. God desires to give us riches beyond our wildest expectations, but we are living frantically in the moment and settling for what we can have NOW: mere crumbs, compared to what we could have if we but trusted in the character of God, our Heavenly Father!

Oh, God, thank You for the gift of this lesson. You not only provide for the birds, but use them to take Your children deeper in You.

(c) 2007-2009 April Lorier

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:20

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Supplied by and reprinted with permission of April Lorier.

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Sparrows and God Care – by April Lorier

July 15, 2009 by Lee

The Birds, the Economy, and My Provider – by April Lorier

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There I was, snoozing in my lazyboy when I was awakened by such a clatter, I rose from my chair to see what was the matter! I felt like Tippi Hedren and it was The Birds all over again. Just outside my window were dozens of sparrows fighting over a snippet of orange peel! I mean fierce terrorist fighting!

I watched in amazement as one of those little sparrows actually made off with the orange peel, unnoticed, and the rest of the birds were still doing battle. I thought, “Isn’t that the way it goes? Anger got the best of them.”

No one has to tell you the economy is pinching your style. As more and more people enter the survival mode we will see anger rising in more people. Fear does terrible things to people. It’s not displayed as fear, but as anger. And as the economy gets worse, we will see more and more vigilante behavior.

People tend to forget that God said He watched over the sparrows and I am worth far more to Him than a sparrow. That fear takes over and we lose sight of our Provider who is far greater than any recession or depression.

I’m so thankful for the reminder from Him of His Sovereignty over all things. Were it not for these birds, I might have forgotten Who’s actually in control.

(c) 2009 April Lorier

You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being. Revelation 4:11
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Supplied by and reprinted with permission of April Lorier.

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Sparrows and God Care – by April Lorier

July 15, 2009 by Lee

April Lorier writes great articles on her “Christian Nature” blog and has agreed to be a guest author. She is allowing us to reproduce some of her very thoughtful and inspiring challenges about birds and the Creator. I trust you will be as blessed by her writings as I am. This is the first one.

Sparrows and God Caresparrow-whiteThroat1 I have written about sparrows before and feel a need to revisit the subject. There are just so many sparrows flying around!Ethel Waters made “His Eye Is On The Sparrow” famous many years ago, and it’s still a master piece. It serves to remind us that if God values sparrows and cares for them, then certainly He does the same for us. He created human beings for companionship, and through Christ we can have that relationship.

One Sunday morning at church, we sang “His Eye Is on the Sparrow” as a congregational hymn. It was a rare opportunity to give voice to a song usually performed by a soloist.

During the first chorus, I noticed a friend who was weeping so hard that he couldn’t sing. Knowing a bit of what he had been through recently, I recognized his tears as ones of joy at realizing that, no matter what our situation, God sees, knows, and cares for us.

Jesus said, “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Matt. 10:29-31). The Lord spoke these words to His 12 disciples as He sent them out to teach, heal, and bear witness of Him to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (v.6). He told them that even though they would face persecution for His sake, they should not be afraid, even of death (vv.22-26).

When threatening circumstances press us to lose hope, we can find encouragement in the words of this song: “I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free. For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.” We are under His watchful care.

If God sees the sparrow’s fall,
Paints the lilies short and tall,
Gives the skies their azure hue,
Will He not then care for you? —Anon.

When you put your cares in God’s hands, He puts His peace in your heart.

2009 April Lorier

Ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? –
Job 12

Supplied by and reprinted with permission of April Lorier

Cockatiel Bird Brain Wisdom – by April Lorier

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Cockatiel Bird Brain Wisdom

cockatielsm1 It is pretty bad when God has to use Bird Brain Wisdom to get through to His daughter, but He did. I tried my best to avoid Dave at every church function. Most people did. His inordinate need for attention and his obvious emotional and spiritual immaturity embarrassed me. I went out of my way to not be associated with him. Intellectually, I understood people are often needy because they had been damaged in some way, so I would have moments of guilt for acting as I did. Then he would say something totally inappropriate and I’d be right back where I began – embarrassed for him.

At the same time I was hand feeding baby cockatiels every two hours, and one of them who I affectionately called Ernie, just couldn’t eat enough to make him grow. I tried everything, but to no avail.One night, still bleary-eyed from little sleep, I prayed, God, please help me! Ernie isn’t going to make it if You don’t help us out. He’s just too weak. And into my spirit, clear as a bell, came the thought, Ernie is the weakest of your birds, and yet you love him the most. Why doesn’t his weakness embarrass you?
Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. (Romans 14:4 NIV)

The comparison was too obvious, and I hung my head in shame. God loved Dave the same way I loved Ernie! His heart broke with tenderness over this man’s weakness the same way my heart broke over my baby bird. He would persist with Dave just as I had with Ernie, spending extra time with him. And God didn’t need a judgmental child getting in the way of Dave’s growth.

I went to bed that night wiser, but much sadder with the knowledge that I had, in my arrogance, dared to pass judgment on another human being that I really didn’t know. By judging Dave, I had positioned myself to be judged by God.I realized God wasn’t half as embarrassed by Dave’s spiritual and emotional immaturity as He was by my arrogance. And worse was my underestimation of God’s power to work in Dave’s life and make him stand strong. I had, with my attitude, questioned the sovereignty of Almighty God!

O Father, forgive my arrogance. Thank You for the wisdom You taught me through my precious little “bird brain!” Let me never lose sight of Your sovereignty and Your compassion towards Your weaker children. I, too, am one of your weak ones. (c)1996-2009 April Lorier

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:20

Supplied by and reprinted with permission of April Lorier.

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Eagles and The Atmosphere of Grace – by April Lorier

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EagleFlySM1Today I am learning from the Eagle. This is appropriate since I have always been a bird watcher and even raised birds for several years. Eagles, in particular, have always fascinated me – especially the Bald Eagle. Did you know there are over a hundred species of eagles? But because our National Emblem has been the Bald Eagle since 1782, it has had more “face time” in the classroom. It is no longer on the endangered list since June of last year.

Every state in our Union has eagles except Hawaii, so people are constantly reporting “eagle sightings”. The Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a member of the sea and fish eagle group, and once it mates, it mates for life! That’s right: no hanky panky in the bald eagle world!

Mama Eagle lays from one to three eggs and the pair share the 35 days of incubation. (No deadbeat fathers here!) The nesting cycle is about 20 weeks.

The female bald eagle is 35 to 37 inches, slightly larger than the male, and has a wingspan of 72 to 90 inches. She flies at altitudes of 10,000 feet, and during level flight, she can achieve speeds of about 30 to 35 mph. She weighs only 10-14 lbs, and her bones are light because they’re hollow. She is known for exceptional eyesight at far distances.

The most fascinating fact, I think, is that the eagle has the ability to adjust her body out of joint in order the ride the storm. Wow! What a lesson we humans can take away from that!

The eagle waits for a draft and rides it – no struggle, no wing-flapping! It’s sort of an “atmosphere of grace” similar to the Christian who “waits upon the Lord” and has less wing-flapping, less struggle. The eagle is definitely a “storm rider”!

As mothers go, the bald eagle is the best metaphor for human parenting and parenting by Father God that I can think of. Since the outside of the nest is made with sharp materials to withstand invasion from intruders, she and her mate lined the inside with fur from their prey. They made a big old feather bed!

When the time comes for those little ones to leave the nest and start fending for themselves – some where around 4 years of age — Mama Eagle starts pulling the soft material out of the nest to make it uncomfortable for them. Seems mean, but it is necessary to motivate the babies.

Then Mama Eagle starts pushing the babies towards the edge of the nest, ignoring their screams. As the babies flap their wings, they are strengthening them without knowing it. Eventually, she pushes them out of the nest, one by one. As each eaglet free-falls, screaming and squawking, Mama Eagle flies under him, spreading her massive 90-inch wingspan, and catches him before he hits ground.

Mama Eagle’s eyes are never off of her baby! She swoops up her baby and takes him back to that nest she and Daddy Eagle built out of touch from intruders. He’s safe for the time being. But tomorrow he’ll get another flight lesson from Mama Eagle. And finally, one day, he’ll figure out he can fly on his own! (Probably when there’s no more fur inside that thorn nest!)

God seems to parent me the same way. There are times when He allows this wounded child to feel safe in His feather bed. Then He knows it’s time for me to be forced out of my comfort zone. But always, His eye is on me and His protective wings are under me.

I actually felt Him lift me up on wings of eagles at my mother’s funeral after she had been killed. It was a visceral feeling, not just a spiritual one, and I floated through the day with total peace. So I know (experientially) the truth of this scripture.

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

(c) 2009 April Lorier

Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.” I have an obligation to God. I am twice His. First, I am His because of creation, and secondly, I am His because of redemption through Jesus Christ. He made me and He bought me.

Supplied by and reprinted with permission of April Lorier

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