Birds of the Bible - Pelicans (by Lee Dusing)

The pelican is in the Pelecanidae family which includes Pelicans, Cormorants, Gannets, etc. We have the American White and Brown Pelicans here in the U.S.

• The White Pelican (62" with a 108" wingspan) is larger than the Brown (48" with a 84" wingspan).
•  They both fly with neck tucked.
•  Both have very large bills (White-yellow, Brown-dark) with a throat pouch.
•  The Brown Pelican feeds by plunging from air into the water and also glides low over the water.
•  The White Pelican feeds while swimming and upending to catch fish.
•  The sexes are similar in both White and Brown Pelicans

The pelican is again listed in the "unclean" list.

And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier-eagle,(Leviticus 11:18 KJV)

And the pelican, and the gier-eagle, and the cormorant, (Deuteronomy 14:17 KJV)

This is from Psalm 102 which is a "prayer of the afflicted." He is telling about a heart smitten, groaning bones, basically he is "out of order."

I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.

(Psalms 102:6 KJV) Most pelicans live near water and owls live in trees.

In spite of his affliction, the Psalm writer concludes with:

Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end. (Psalms 102:25-27 KJV)

What a great promise. It amazes me sometimes when I "birdwatch the Scriptures," what treasures are associated with them.

Points

Brown Pelicans Dive for their food.

American White Pelicans swim along and feed, upending themselves as they do. This was taken at Lake Hollingsworth.

Photos are by permission of Dan's Pix and Ray's Wildlife Photography

Check out my new websites: Lee's Birdwatching Adventures Plus  or  >Birds of the Bible

Birds of the Bible - Herons (by Lee Dusing)

Here in central Florida we can see many Herons, such as the:

(Click link for photo)

Great Blue Heron (L46" Wingspan72")

Little Blue Heron (L24 Wingspan 40")

Tri-colored Heron (L26 Wingspan 36")

Green Heron (L18" Wingspan 26)

Black-crowned Night Heron (L25" Wingspan 26")

Yellow-crowned Night Heron (L24" Wingspan 42")



Around the World the Ardeidae family includes Herons(41), Egrets(7) and Bitterns(12). From Thayer Birding Software, "Most herons nest in dense or dispersed colonies; a few species, including most bitterns, are solitary. Nests are platforms of interlocked sticks in trees or piles of vegetation in reeds or on the ground, built mainly or entirely by the female of material brought by the male." Most of the Herons rest and fly with their necks in an "S" curve. They can be see along or in the edges of water fishing. Many stand perfectly still looking in the water and then thrust with a quick movement to either spear or catch their prey. Herons amaze me in how perfectly still they stand and wait. They seem so patient to me. Herons are on the "unclean" list of birds found in Leviticus 11:19 and Deuteronomy 14:18. Because they are so "patient" and "wait," it reminds me of:

Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. (Psalms 37:7 KJV)

And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. (Hebrews 6:15 KJV)

The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season (Psalms 145:15 KJV

And of course our great verse from last week:

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)

Hymns mention "waiting" and being "still" and "patient. Here is a favorite:
Be Still, My Soul by Katharina von Schlegel,

1697-Trans. By Jane L. Borthwick, 1813-1897
Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side;

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;

Leave to thy God to order and provide;

In ev'ry change He faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heav'nly Friend

Thro' thorny ways leads to a joyful end.



Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake

To guide the future as He has the past.

Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;

All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know

His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.



Be still, my soul: the hour is hast'ning on

When we shall be forever with the Lord,

When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,

Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.

Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past,

All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Birds of the Bible - Ossifrage (by Lee Dusing)

This week’s bird is only mentioned twice in the Bible and is in the list of “unclean birds.” Mainly the King James Version (KJV DBY WBS YLT) mentions it, most other versions call it a bearded vulture, vulture, or a variety of other birds. What is an Ossifrage anyway. Here is what I found out.

And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the osprey, (Leviticus 11:13 KJV)

But these are they of which ye shall not eat: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the osprey, (Deuteronomy 14:12 KJV)

Here is what Nave’s Topical Bible has to say about a Vulture:

• A carnivorous bird Lev_11:14; Deu_14:13
• Sometimes translated Falcon Job_28:7
• Sometimes translated Kite Isa_34:15

From the Holman Bible Dictionary (Online) - OSSIFRAGE

"(ahss ssi frayge) English applies ossifrage to three birds: the bearded vulture; the osprey; and the giant petrel. Other translations identify the bird as a black vulture (REB) or vulture (NAS, NIV, NRSV).

Compact Oxford English Dictionary (New Edition) calls it a

1. lammergeier. or 2. Archaic An osprey."

From Wikipedia

"Unlike most vultures, the Lammergeier does not have a bald head. This huge bird is 95-125 cm (37-49 inches) long with a 235-280 cm (91-110 inches) wingspan, and is quite unlike most other vultures in flight due to its large, narrow wings and long, wedge-shaped tail. It weighs between 5 and 7 kg (11 and 15 lbs)."

“The Bearded vulture is the only animal that feeds almost exclusively on bone (70-90%). In Crete, the shepherds call it the "Bone-eater", as they have watched the bird breaking bones in a very characteristic way, since the old times.

The bird throws the larger bones from a height on to rocky slopes in order to break them, and immediately descends after them in a characteristic spiral way. If the bone does not break the first time, the method is repeated many times until the bone finally breaks.

The bird then eats the bone pieces starting with the bone marrow. The smaller bones are swallowed whole, as the birds gastric fluids are so strong that they can digest bone easily.

This dietary habit seems odd, but once bones have been digested, they are a nutritious and easily storable type of food; in addition, the bird faces minimal competition for this type of food.“  The full article can be found at: Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus)

Related Links: 

• More Birds of the Bible Posts
• More articles by Lee Dusing
• Read our most current blog posts
• Visit our website (www.faithbaptistwh.org)
• Learn about more birds in our Formed by Him series
  

Pictures are of Bartgeier and a Lammergeier by Anthony S

Remember (by Stephen Simpson)

This past Sunday evening I preached a message for our Lord's Supper service. In that message I emphasized the phrase "do this in remembrance of me" and gave 9 things that we are to remember when we gather around the Lord's Table.

1. Remember that Jesus came to this earth for a specific purpose. (Matt. 20:28 & 1 Tim. 1:15)
2. Remember that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life.
3. Remember that you and I were born totally depraved. (Rom. 3:10, 23)
4. Remember that blood had to be shed for our sin. (Heb. 9:22)
5. Remember that Jesus Christ was betrayed.
6. Remember that Christ died 'for us.' (1 Cor. 11:24, 15:3, 2 Cor. 5:21, Gal. 3:13)
7. Remember the horrible suffering that Christ endured. (Is. 53; John 19)
8. Remember that Christ restrained Himself.
9. Remember that Christ's death satisfied the wrath of God.

May we always remember the death of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Birds of the Bible - Eagles II (by Lee Dusing)

Since today is the Fourth of July, what better bird to feature than our Bald Eagle. I have decided to re-post the Birds of the Bible-Eagles, with a few updates. Here in North America we have the Bald Eagle (our National symbol) and the Golden Eagle. The Bald Eagle’s "bald spot" doesn't appear until they are 4 or 5 years old and develop a white head and tail. The Bald Eagle is only in North America. In Israel you might see a Short-toed Eagle, Great or Lesser Spotted Eagle, Steppe, Imperial, Golden, Booted, or Bonelli’s Eagle.



I love to watch an eagle flying; it stops me in my tracks. We are lucky here in Polk County to have many this time of the year. (Update: It's now Summer and most have gone north until Fall.) Stay alert and also visit the South Lake Howard Nature Center to see a pair sitting either on the tower or at the nest. Ask most anyone there and they will point out the nest. (Update: They did not produce any eaglets this spring, but the nest is still there.)



Eagle on Tower Near Lake Howard and Eagle in Nest at Lake Howard Nature Park.

• Job 9:26 – “Like an eagle swooping on its prey.”
• Pro 30:19 – “The way of an eagle in the air”
• Jer 49:22 – “fly like the eagle, and shall spread his wings”
• Hab 1:8 - “They fly as the eagle that hastens to eat.”
• Pro 23:5 –“They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.”
• A great eagle with great wings, long-winged, full of feathers
• As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings
• From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off

An African Eagle

“Birds display a wide range of patterns in flight. Swifts and swallows use a fast, gliding motion. Ducks and geese have sustained, powerful flight. Birds of prey such as eagles and falcons usually catch their targets by swooping from high in the sky, capturing their victims after a swift dive—which may reach speeds of 250 kilometers an hour (165 mph). As the bird swoops to the ground, it spreads its powerful wings to act as a brake.” (“Created to fly,” Creation 16(3), June 1994)

Click link to see a Bald eagle hovering and landing on rock.

Bald Eagle hovering and landing


For those of us in the “older generation,” Job 9:25-26 (NKJV) reminds us that we need to stay active for our Lord because our life passes by swiftly. "Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good. They pass by like swift ships, Like an eagle swooping on its prey.”



A few more facts about eagles:

• Eagles are mentioned in hymns such as:
  
  They That Wait Upon the Lord –“They shall mount up with wings as eagles:”
  
  The Mercy Seat – “Ah, there on eagle wings we soar,”
  
  Art Thou Afraid? – “On eagles' wings they mount, they soar, Their wings are faith and love,”
• In Israel, the eagle is the largest bird and has an eight foot wing span.
• There are at least 25 verses in the Bible that mention the eagle.
• The eagle is an "unclean" bird.

Today may be Independence Day here in the United States, but there is One we should never declare our Independence from, because:

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. He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31 NKJV)

VBS Summary (by Stephen Simpson)

In case you missed Sunday night's VBS report, here are some unique statistics about VBS.

• Wednesday of VBS was our largest day with 244 kids who came.
• We had over 275 different kids registered for VBS.
• Our offering for the week was $1055.32. This included 86 rolls of pennies, 20 rolls of nickels, 23 rolls of dimes, & 24 rolls of quarters.
• About 20 ladies attended our MUM's class.
• Over 3000 cookies were willingly consumed.
• Several children made a profession of faith in Christ.

We are praising the Lord for all He did during VBS.