Tag Archives: Winter Visitors

Hawk’s Wisdom Is From Whom?

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Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) by Daves BirdingPix

The other day while I was filling my gas tank, I looked up and spotted a Hawk flying overhead. He (or she) kept flying back and forth slowly. I have no clue as to what kind of hawk it was, but wondered which verses mentions the hawk? We have written about hawks many times here on the blog, and know it is one of the Birds of the Bible.

Job 39:26 is a great verse that asks a very thought-provoking question.

“Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south?” (KJV)

I have Bible Gateway loaded on my computer and brought up that verse and asked to show all the various Bible versions. Looking through the various ways of asking or questioning God about His hawks was interesting. As I read through the various versions, it makes us realize how little we know about The Creator’s Wisdom.

Raptor Bird of Prey, Juvenile Red Tailed Hawk profile, William Wise

Here are some of those questions:

ASV
Is it by thy wisdom that the hawk soareth,
AMP
“Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars,
CSB
Does the hawk take flight by your understanding
CEB
Is it due to your understanding that the hawk flies,
CEV
Did you teach hawks to fly south for the winter?
EASY
Was it your wisdom, Job, that taught hawks how to fly? No! You could not teach them to fly towards the south in winter.
GNT
Does a hawk learn from you how to fly when it spreads its wings toward the south?

Zone-tailed Hawk (Buteo albonotatus) ©WikiC

MSG
“Was it through your know-how that the hawk learned to fly, soaring effortlessly on thermal updrafts? Did you command the eagle’s flight, and teach her to build her nest in the heights, Perfectly at home on the high cliff face, invulnerable on pinnacle and crag? From her perch she searches for prey, spies it at a great distance. Her young gorge themselves on carrion; wherever there’s a roadkill, you’ll see her circling.”
WYC
“Whether an hawk spreading abroad his wings to the south, beginneth to have feathers by thy wisdom? (Be it by thy wisdom that a hawk haveth feathers, and spreadeth his wings towards the south?)”

I’m very thankful that the Lord instructs the Hawks do spread their wings and come down here to Florida!! Especially in the winter!!

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Birds of the Bible Hawks
Birds of the Bible – Hawk Migration
Birds of the Bible – Hawks and Wisdom
Waterman Bird Collection – Hawks and Owls
Ian’s Bird of the Week – Spotted Harrier
Hawk Photos
Hawk Videos
Raptor ID
Raptor Overview
Nave’s Topical Bible – Hawk

Is There a God?

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks Are Back For The Winter

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Our Black-bellied Whistling Ducks have shown up again this winter just like previous years. I’ve written about them many times, but I am always glad when they return each winter. I searched through some previous post about them and found this one from 2011. I especially like the verse quoted, “”I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” (Psalms 32:8 KJV)” That verse means a lot as I am learning to adjust to my current situation. See Time To Find and Watch Birds Again. I trust you enjoy this older post again.

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks feeding 6/11 by Lee

Birdwatching and Blessings – 6/11/21

This morning our Whistling Duck pair came looking for food, as is becoming their routine. Dan was planning to mow the grass today, so the food dishes were empty and stacked on the patio. So, I put one close by and gave them some food.

Church Signs:

God likes it when you smile, but he loves it when He is the reason!

The will of God will never take you to where the grace of God will not protect you.

Truths To Consider:

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks looking to see if they should go that way.  6/11

“I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” (Psalms 32:8 KJV)

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks maybe asking or deciding which way to go.  6/11

“And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.” (Judges 18:5 KJV)

Decisions! Decisions! Always best when the Lord is involved in seeking answers.

Good News

Lack of Birds To Watch

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Staying in as much as we have lately, the birds were at least coming by for a visit. Now that fall has arrived, we were expecting the birds to return. BUT!

Northern Mockingbird on Hook 2
Northern Mockingbird on Hook, last spring.
The trees beyond those houses are the beginning of the forest.

The feeders are filled, yet the birds are not returning. Could it be because they are destroying a huge area of trees right here by us???

Here is a picture, from the weather radar zoomed in on this area. It is a satellite view. The bare spot at the top is where the new houses were put in last year. (Of course, the view is the newest that they have released.)

Before they started clearing

The dark spot in front is a huge forest. When I have shown photos of the birds, those trees have been visible over the houses. That strip of trees is about all that is left of all of those woods. They are clearing it all out for another housing addition. I am expecting any day for those trees to disappear. When they do, I’ll update and show a photo with the trees gone.

The Trees already gone as of today.

The yellow outlines the area that has already been cleared. When that little section is cleared, who knows if many birds will come back this winter. With our area being new, there are few trees that have been planted, and the ones that have been, are only a few feet tall.

Yet! There is always hope for the strange finds now and then. We were visited by a new bird about a week ago. One we have not seen that often. First time we saw one was in Louisiana years ago.

Loggerhead Shrike on Oct 1, 2020

What a surprise!! This Shrike is a first for our yard, and a first in a long time since we spotted the last one.

Loggerhead Shrike 1 Oct 2020-2
Loggerhead Shrike 1 Oct 2020

Stay tuned to see what might show up this winter. I am hoping that we have as many as last winter, but we shall see. Thankfully, we still have the water birds walking by now and then. Oh! Another gator has shown up and ate a Muscovy Duck recently. But that is another post.

Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy Before the LORD, for He is coming; For He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, And the peoples in His faithfulness. (Psalms 96:12-13) [Unfortunately, these trees will not be in that chorus

Who Paints The Leaves?

Birdwatching Without Birdwatching

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Bald Eagle (close up) LP Zoo by Dan

Bald Eagle (close up) LP Zoo by Dan

But 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 KJV)

Today we were blessed with the sightings of four mature Bald Eagles. Each had their beautiful white heads and their white tails visible. And I wasn’t even out birdwatching. I therefore had no camera with me.

Because I am still under the weather fighting a bad cold and my slipped disc, we have not gone “birdwatching.” So this morning on the way home from therapy, we spotted a Bald Eagle on one of the power poles. A few days ago we had seen one nearby on another street, so this may have been the same one.

I love this time of the year because the eagles start migrating back down to spend the winter with us. Polk County, Florida, where we live, has one of the highest concentrations (in the lower 48) from now through the winter.

Osprey Road by Dan - (Old Bartow Road)

Osprey Road by Dan – (Old Bartow Road)

This evening, we drove to Bartow on the Old Bartow Road, which I have renamed “Osprey” road. I call it that because of all the Ospreys that make nest on the flat platforms that are on the power poles. They were placed there when the Osprey were becoming endangered. Now they are recovering right well. Anyway, most of the Ospreys left within the last month, except for one or two, which we saw this evening. (They come down in late January or early February, make babies, and then leave July to August.)

On the way back, we spotted one Bald Eagle sitting in one of the nest and then up about this end, where the picture was taken, there were two more standing in a nest. So much for traipsing through the woods to find an eagle, they were just right there in plain view.

So, even though I didn’t get to go birdwatching lately, the Lord brought the birdwatching to us. What a Blessing. Thank you Lord for allowing us to see them.

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) by Lee at National Aviary

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) by Lee at National Aviary

I have seen other birds while we were riding around, but Bald Eagles are very special to me. As that top verse says, I am to be reminded that my strength will be renewed, not be weary or faint. Not so sure about the running though. :)

Birds of the Bible – Eagles

Birds of the Bible

Accipitridae – Kites, Hawks and Eagles

Wordless Birds

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