Caught Dan on the Boardwalk trying to find a bird

Yesterday Dan and I went birdwatching at the Mosaic Peace River Park in Homeland, FL. It was a gorgeous morning and the temperature was around 73° when we got there around 10 am. While we were getting our gear out a Northern Cardinal landed nearby. I aimed my camera and realized I had not taken the lens cap off yet. By the time I did remove it, you guessed it, he flew away into the trees. That was the story of our trip. The birds were “heard, but not seen.”

For those that may be new to birdwatching, when a bird is heard even though not seen, it can be counted on your list. Some are not aware of that fact. The problem is, knowing what the birds sound like. I was sorry yesterday that I had not spent enough time practicing hearing sounds. My list would have been much longer. Where we were has a boardwalk winding between the trees and ends up at the Peace River. Other than that Cardinal and the ones flying way overhead, no birds were seen. Yet, our list included 16 species.

I have decided to test you some and help you learn. Below are the sounds of some of the birds we heard, but I won’t  ID until later in the article.

Sound #1

Sound #2

Sound #3

Sound #4

Sound #5

So, have you figured them all out. They are fairly common to this area of the US. To help you out, here is a link to their photos:
Bird #1 ~ ~ Bird #2 ~ ~ Bird #3 ~ ~ Bird #4 ~ ~ Bird #5

Swallow-tailed Kite – the one bird I got a photo of as it flew overhead

That Bird #5 had given me a test of my memory. I wrote down on my list “squeeky wheel bird.” I knew I had heard it before and planned to look it up when we got home. Luckily, on the way back to the car, we met a group of birdwatchers from Martin county Audubon. We compared lists, which is normal for birdwatchers, and then I asked about the “squeeky wheel bird” and they gave me it’s name right off. (I should have been birding with them) I checked out my recordings at home and sure enough, that is what it was.

All the sound recording came from xeno-canto.org and there are numerous other places to find the sounds of birds. Birding by Ear Basics from About.com/Birds has good tips. Cornell Lab of Ornithology is one of the best for seeing and hearing the birds.

We hear the birds and know they are there even though we do not see them. In the Christian realm, we do not see the Lord in person today, but we know He is alive and speaks to us through the things He has created and most of all by His Word.

He who is of God hears God’s words; …” (John 8:47a NKJV)

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17 NKJV)

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, (Romans 1:20 NKJV)

*