This is the second set of Christmas Birds. This time the Green Birds are featured. Hope you enjoyed the Christmas Birds – Red.
Again the Lord created these birds and colored them for their protection and to show off to their mates. There are many more that could be shown, but you may want to find some yourself.
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. (Isaiah 40:28 NKJV)
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Here is the Music as Choir Entered for the Cantata (looped)
Paradise Tanager (Tangara chilensis) by Juan D Ramirez Rpo on Flickr From Pinterest
“And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43 KJV)
Avian and Attributes – Paradise
PAR’ADISE, n. [Gr.] The garden of Eden, in which Adam and Eve were placed immediately after their creation.
1. A place of bliss; a region of supreme felicity or delight.
The earth
Shall all be paradise–
2. Heaven, the blissful seat of sanctified souls after death.
This day shalt thou be with me in paradise. Luke 23.
3. Primarily, in Persia, a pleasure-garden with parks and other appendages.
“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 tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” (Revelation 2:7 KJV)
The paradise drongo or ribbon-tailed drongo (Dicrurus megarhynchus) is a species of bird in the family Dicruridae. It is endemic to New Ireland in the Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea.
The Paradise Jacamar (Galbula dea) distributed throughout tropical rainforests and savanna of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and the Guyanas. Its range encompasses nearly the entire Amazon Basin, except in the northwest basin in parts of Colombia and Venezuela, (the northeast is the three countries of the Guyanas, which drain to the Atlantic-Caribbean). The diet consists mainly of butterflies and other flying insects.
Paradise Riflebird
Paradise Riflebird-Australia-Birdway
Paradise Riflebird (Ptiloris paradiseus) is medium-sized, up to 30 cm long. The male is black with an iridescent greenish blue crown, throat and central tail feathers. It has a black curved bill, black feet, dark brown iris and yellow mouth. The female is an olive brown bird with barred blackish below with a long white brow above her eye. The species is Endemic to eastern Australia, where it occurs in the rainforests of New South Wales and central Queensland.
The Paradise Shelduck (Tadorna variegata) is a large goose-like duck endemic to New Zealand. It is a shelduck, a group of large goose-like birds which are part of the bird family Anatidae. The genus name Tadorna comes from Celtic roots and means “pied waterfowl”. Known to the Māori as pūtangitangi, but now commonly referred to as the “paradise duck”, it is a prized game bird. Both the male and female have striking plumage: the male has a black head and barred black body, the female a white head with a chestnut body. The paradise shelducks usually live as pairs, grazing on grass and weeds, and will raid crops, particularly when molting.
The Paradise Tanager (Tangara chilensis) is a brilliantly multicolored, medium-sized songbird whose length varies between 13.5 and 15 cm. It has a light green head, sky blue underparts and black upper body plumage. Depending on subspecies, the rump is yellow and red or all red. The beak is black and the legs are grey.
Found in humid tropical and subtropical forests in the western and northern Amazon Basin in South America, it occurs in Venezuela, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil and the Guianas. Despite its scientific name, it is not found in Chile.
The Paradise-crow (Lycocorax pyrrhopterus) also known as the silky crow, is a medium-sized crow-like bird-of-paradise. One of the few monogamous birds-of-paradise, the paradise-crow is endemic to lowland forests of North Maluku in Indonesia. The diet consists mainly of fruits and arthropods.
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11 KJV)
Avian and Attributes – Noble
NO’BLE, a.
1. Great; elevated; dignified; being above every thing that can dishonor reputation; as a nobel mind; a noble courage; noble deeds of valor.
2. Exalted; elevated; sublime.
3. Magnificent; stately; splendid; as a noble parade; a noble edifice.
4. Of an ancient and splendid family; as nobel by descent.
5. Distinguished from commoners by rank and title; as a noble personage.
8. Ingenuous; candid; of an excellent disposition; ready to receive truth. Acts 17.
9. Of the best kind; choice; excellent; as a noble vine. Jer 2. NO’BLE, n.
1. A person of rank above a commoner; a nobleman; a peer; as a duke, marquis, earl, viscount or baron.
2. In Scripture, a person of honorable family or distinguished by station. Exo 24. Neh 6.
Noble Snipe (Gallinago nobilis) is a small stocky wader. It breeds in the Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela above or just below the treeline. It is entirely sedentary.
This 30–32.5 cm long snipe has a stocky body and relatively short legs for a wader. Its upperparts, head and neck are streaked and patterned with dark brown and buff, and gold edges to the feathers form distinct lines down its back. The belly is white with brown barring on the flanks. The horn-coloured bill is very long and straight. The legs and feet are greyish-green. The sexes are similar, but females are longer billed; immature birds differ only in showing pale fringes on the wing coverts. The noble snipe has a clear melodious call.
The noble snipe is found high altitude wet grassland marshes and swamps from 2,700 – 4,200 m.
Little is known of its biology, but it has an aerial display, which involves flying high in circles, followed by a powerful stoop during which the bird makes a drumming sound, caused by vibrations of modified outer tail feathers, lower pitched than that of common snipe. It breeds from March to July.
The noble snipe is usually alone or in pairs, but is difficult to observe on the ground. It forages by pushing its long bill deep into the mud seeking insects and worms. Its cryptic plumage provides effective camouflage when the bird stands motionless amongst marsh vegetation.
Great Blue Heron: Patient, Prompt, and (Rarely) Pugnacious
by Dr. James J. S. Johnson
Orni-Theology
The heron family (family Ardeidae, which also includes bitterns and some egrets) and their cousins include some of my favorite long-legged wading birds: great blue herons, green herons, grey herons, tri-colored herons, night herons, great white egrets, and cattle egrets.
Reddish-Snowys-Greats Egrets -Great Blue Heron by Lee
Their often smaller cousins (of the family Egretta) include the reddish egret, little blue heron, and the snowy egret. Of these many regard the great blue heron (Ardea herodias) as a favorite:
“For most of us, sightings of great blue herons are confined to a glimpse of the bird as it flies slowly and steadily overhead, wings arching gracefully down with each beat, neck bent back, and feet trailing behind. At other times we see it on its feeding grounds, standing motionless and staring intently into shallow water, or wading with measured steps as it searches for prey.” [Quoting from “Great Blue Heron”, by Donald & Lillian Stokes, in Bird Behavior, Volume III (Little, Brown & Co., 1989), page 25.]
Great Blue Heron by Dave’s Pix
The Holy Bible mentions “herons” twice, in Leviticus 11:19 and in Deuteronomy 14:18 (both times translating the Hebrew noun ’anaphah), in Mosaic lists of ritually “unclean” birds. The bird’s Hebrew name is based on a verb (’anaph) meaning “to snort” or “to be angry”. Herons can be aggressive, and their almost-violent habit of “zapping” their prey could appear to resemble an aggressor angrily striking at unsuspecting victim. The more likely behavior that matches the Hebrew name, however, is the aggressive defense of a heron’s feeding grounds:
“Defense of feeding territories is commonly seen and involves aerial chases, Frahnk-calls, and aggressive [body language] displays, such as Upright, Bill-down-upright, Bent-neck. Fighting rarely occurs, but when it does it can be violent, with one bird landing on the back of the other and either bird stabbing the other with its bill.” [Quoting from “Great Blue Heron”, by Donald & Lillian Stokes, above, page 30.]
Yet do not imagine that the great blue heron is an erratic hothead that has no self-control, because its self-restraint, when seeking a meal at the shoreline of a pond, is so self-contained that the heron resembles a statue, for many minutes if necessary. Then, zap! The statue suddenly fast-forwards his sharp beak toward a hapless fish or frog, — and instantly the heron is gulping down his dinner!
This ability to strike like lightning, yet the choice to withhold doing so (unless the time for doing so is obvious), reminds us of the New Testament directive: “be ye angry, and sin not” (Ephesians 4:26).
Also, in spiritual matters (Ephesians 6:12), we are exhorted to “contend earnestly” for the Biblical faith (Jude 1:3), in ways that do not involve flesh-and-blood fighting. Such spiritual conflicts require both the patience and promptness of a sniper (or an opportunistic great blue heron)! Yes, there may even come a time for the use of physical force, when the stakes are high enough – remember how the Lord Jesus cleansed the Temple with a whip! — but most of the time our anger should be suppressed, with heron-like patience, in order to achieve the most worthy goals in life.
This is the second set of Christmas Birds. This time the Green Birds are featured. Hope you enjoyed the Christmas Birds – Red.
Again the Lord created these birds and colored them for their protection and to show off to their mates. There are many more that could be shown, but you may want to find some yourself.
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. (Isaiah 40:28 NKJV)
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This slideshow requires JavaScript.
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Here is the Music as Choir Entered for the Cantata (looped)
Do birds carry
heavy or light luggage
when they fly?
Never,
cos,
they know that
its easier to fly light
without excess weight…
Though we wait
on the LORD,
we still are not able to
fly high over the storm..
Why?
Is it cos
we carry all the junk like
fears and tears,
and,
anger and pain?
LETS FLY LIGHT
FOR THE LIGHT…
Therefore seeing we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily ensnare us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, (Hebrews 12:1)
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (Philippians 2:6-7 KJV)
Words by Emily E. Elliott, 1864. This hymn was first used at St. Mark’s Church in Brighton, England, where Elliott’s father was rector. In 1870, it was published in the Church Missionary Juvenile Instructor, which Elliott edited.
Music: Margaret, Timothy R. Matthews, 1876
Birds in Christmas Hymns
Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne
Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown,
When Thou camest to earth for me;
But in Bethlehem’s home was there found no room
For Thy holy nativity.
Refrain
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus, There is room in my heart for Thee.
Heaven’s arches rang when the angels sang,
Proclaiming Thy royal degree;
But of lowly birth didst Thou come to earth,
And in great humility.
Refrain
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus, There is room in my heart for Thee.
The foxes found rest, and the birds their nest In the shade of the forest tree;
But Thy couch was the sod, O Thou Son of God,
In the deserts of Galilee.
Refrain
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus, There is room in my heart for Thee.
Thou camest, O Lord, with the living Word,
That should set Thy people free;
But with mocking scorn and with crown of thorn,
They bore Thee to Calvary.
Refrain
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus, There is room in my heart for Thee.
When the heavens shall ring, and the angels sing,
At Thy coming to victory,
Let Thy voice call me home,
Saying Yet there is room,
There is room at My side for thee.
My heart shall rejoice, Lord Jesus,
When Thou comest and callest for me.
Protection and feeding at the nest by Anthony
Emily E. Elliott (1836-1897) – Emily’s father was Edward Bishop Elliott, Rector of St. Mark’s Church in Brighton, and her aunt was hymnist Charlotte Elliott. For six years, Emily served as editor of The Church Missionary Juvenile Instructor.
Timothy R. Matthews (1826-1910) – Son of the rector of Colmworth, Matthews attended the Bedford Grammar School and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge (MusB 1853). Ordained the same year, he became private tutor to the family of Rev. Lord Wriothesley Russell, a canon of St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, where he studied under the organist, George Elvey, subsequently a lifelong friend.
Matthews served as Curate (1853-1859) and Curate-in-Charge (1859-1869) of St. Mary’s Church, Nottingham. During this time he founded Nottingham’s Working Men’s Institute. In 1869, he became Rector at North Coates, Lincolnshire. He retired in 1907 to live with his eldest son at Tetney vicarage.
Matthews edited the North Coates Supplemental Tune Book and The Village Organist. He composed Morning and Evening Services, chants and responses, and earned a reputation for simple but effective hymn tunes, writing over 100. William Howard requested six tunes from him for a children’s hymnal, and Matthews completed them within a day. Matthews also composed a Christmas carol and a few songs. His sons Norton and Arthur Percy were also known as hymn tune composers.
Lee's Birdwatching Adventures Plus 