Birds of the Bible - Nighthawk (by Lee Dusing)

The Night Hawk is part of the Chordeilinae family which are nightjars. Here in North America, the Lesser, Common, and Antillean Nighthawks, are joined by the Common Pauraque, Common Poorwill, Chuck-Will's Widow, and the Whip-Poor-Will to round out the family. They have long wings, short legs, and very small bills. All of these are late evening, early morning, and night hunters of insects. God created them with coloration that helps them blend in with the tree or leaves around them and most perch horizontal to the limbs instead of across them like most birds. This also helps hide them in the daytime. Even though they have the name "Hawk", they do not resemble what most would think of hawks. The term is more of the fact of 'hawking or catching" insects while in flight. Most fly low over the ground in search the moths and large flying insects. They range from 7 to 13 inches long with wingspans from 11 to 24 inches.

All Nighthawks listed in the New World are the Band-tailed Nighthawk, Plain-tailed Nighthawk, Nacunda Nighthawk, Rufous-bellied Nighthawk, Short-tailed Nighthawk, Antillean Nighthawk, Lesser Nighthawk, Common Nighthawk, Least Nighthawk, Sand-colored Nighthawk

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UPDATE: AUG 30, 2008: Upon further investigation, the night hawk mentioned in the verses is most likely a type of owl that feeds at night. I will make a new article soon. Enjoy this anyway. (Lee)

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They are again in our list of birds that are "unclean." Both verses are identical in the KJV.

And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckoo, and the hawk after his kind, (Lev 11:16)
And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckoo, and the hawk after his kind, (Deu 14:15)

See Nighthawks for more information.

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Empty Things (by Stephen Simpson)

In 1 Samuel 12 the prophet Samuel is addressing the nation of Israel. Towards the end of the chapter he warns them to not turn aside from the following the Lord. In verse 21 Samuel says, "And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty." (ESV) This verse was such a rebuke to me as I read it because there are so many 'empty things' that I turn aside after, empty things that have no lasting value.

For example, I will gladly stay up late watching the most meaningless Olympic events. Yet, I never stay up late for some extra Bible study time or for extra time in prayer. When you stop and think about it, who really cares who won the semifinal of the men's 200m race? Talk about something that does not "profit or deliver!"

So, examine your life. Are there some 'empty things' that are demanding your time and energy? Let's all work diligently at identifying those things in our life which are empty and replace them with things that are full of value and worth.

Birds of the Bible - Hoopoe (by Lee Dusing)

The Hoopoe is mentioned in the list of "unclean" things not to eat in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. I am sort of revisiting my Birds of the Bible - Lapwing which uses the same references. Depending on which copy of Scripture one uses it is translated Lapwing in some and Hoopoe in others. The Hoopoe is an interesting and pretty bird, so I will describe it in today's blog.

the stork, the heron after its kind, the hoopoe, and the bat. (Lev 11:19 NKJV)
the stork, the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe and the bat. (Deu 14:18 NKJV)

• The Hoopoe is in the same order as Bee-eaters, Rollers, and
  
  Kingfishers.
• 
  
  They are found in Asia, Europe, and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar.
• They migrate to the tropics in the winter.
• In 2008, the Long-Billed Hoopoe became the national bird of Israel. See Article in Jerusalem Post.
• Their diet consists of mostly worms and insects, which they find while spending most of their time on the ground.
• "The nest is in a hole in a tree or wall. Like those of its relatives, the kingfishers, the nest tends to contain copious amounts of faeces and smell very foul as a protection against predators^[2]."(Wikipedia)
• "The song is a trisyllabic "oop-oop-oop", which gives rise to its English and scientific names."(Wikipedia)

Links to check out:

Wikipedia - Hoopoe

Bird Families of the World - Hoopoes

William Kwong's Gallery (Photos used with his Permission)
Hoopoe - Photos & Videos

It Has Always Been the Soldier

Here's the video that we showed in church on July 6th. Enjoy.

Birds of the Bible - Falcons (by Lee Dusing)

Today we introduce another bird family that has been worderfully created by God. The Falcon is in the Family "Falconidae" which are birds of prey. Worldwide there are over 60 species in the family. Falcons, Caracara, Forest-Falcons, Kestrels, Falconets, Pygmy-Falcons, and Hobbies make up the family. For an interesting list of the birds and videos of them, see Internet Bird Collection. These are the birds seen in North America according to Thayer’s Birding software:

• Aplomado Falcon (15-16.5” with 40-48” wingspan) Mexico to Central and South America, TX
• Gyrfalcon (20-25” with 50-64” wingspan – largest of the falcons) - Arctic tundra-winter seen in upper Midwest, Dakotas, Montana, Idaho and Washington – Flies close to the ground.
• Peregrine Falcon (16-20” with 36-44” wingspan – large falcon)
• Prairie Falcon (15.5-19.5” with 35-43” wingspan)
• Merlin (12” with 25” wingspan)
• Collared Forest-Falcon (21-25” with 30-37” wingspan) (Accidental-South Texas)
• American Kestrel (10.5” with 23” wingspan - Smallest falcon)
• Eurasian Kestrel (13.5”with 29” wingspan Hovers) – Mass, NJ, N Brunswick and Aleutian Islands of Alaska
• Prairie Falcon by DanCrested Caracara (23” with 50” wingspan) - TX and FL, Prairie region of central FL, open arid and semiarid scrublands, grassland w/ few trees, ranchland
• Eurasian Hobby (11-13” with 28-33” wingspan) - Europe and Asia, Africa (winters) very rare in North America Captures prey in the air.

A good article about the Falconidae Family is at the Handbook of the Birds of the World website. The Wikipedia had these comments:

"Falcons and caracaras are carnivores, feeding on birds, small mammals, reptiles, insects and carrion.",

"They have strongly hooked bills, sharply curved talons and excellent eyesight. The plumage is usually composed of browns, whites, chestnut, black and grey, often with barring of patterning. "

"They differ from other Falconiformes (Hawks, Eagles, Falcons, etc.) in killing with their beaks instead of their feet. They have a "tooth" on the side of their beak for the purpose."

The Falcon is another bird on the “unclean” list.

And these you shall regard as an abomination among the birds; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, the buzzard, the kite, and the falcon after its kind (Leviticus 11:13-14 NKJV)

the red kite, the falcon, and the kite after their kinds; (Deuteronomy 14:13 NKJV)
You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. (Ezekiel 39:4 NKJV)

Photos top to bottom: American Kestrel by AestheticPhotos, Praire Falcon by Dan, Peregrine Falcon by Jim Fenton

Click for the Falcons Photos and Videos pages.

Birds of the Bible - Quail (by Lee Dusing)

Our Bird of the Bible this week is not on the "unclean" list for a change. In fact, this bird can be eaten and is raised just for that purpose in many parts of the world. Searching the internet, you can find all kinds of recipes for quail. What has that got to do with our Quail?

The children of Israel were in the wilderness, doing their constant grumbling, and they asked for "more to eat". They were not satisfied with what God was providing. They wanted "more." So:

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, 'At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the LORD your God.' " So it was that quails came up at evening and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay all around the camp. And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, was a small round substance, as fine as frost on the ground.(Exodus 16:11-14 NKJV)



Now a wind went out from the LORD, and it brought quail from the sea and left them fluttering near the camp, about a day's journey on this side and about a day's journey on the other side, all around the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the ground. And the people stayed up all that day, all night, and all the next day, and gathered the quail (he who gathered least gathered ten homers); and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was aroused against the people, and the LORD struck the people with a very great plague. So he called the name of that place Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had yielded to craving.(Numbers 11:31-34 NKJV)



The people asked, and He brought quail, And satisfied them with the bread of heaven.(Psalms 105:40 NKJV)

The commentaries on these Scriptures varied somewhat. Some suggested that these were not "quails" but "locusts". Most concede that they were "quails". Then, they debated about the "about two cubits above the surface of the ground." Were they piled two cubits high or were they flying around at that level? If they were piled deep, they would suffocate and die, making them uneatable according to their law. So, with these questions in mind, here is how the Quail behave:

"Rapid direct flight, series of several stiff wing beats followed by a short glide", "Escapes danger by running. Direct flight with rapid deep wing beats". "Small, chunky, short-tailed, round-winged, ground-dwelling bird", "Secretive. Squats and sits motionless when alarmed", and "keeping hidden in crops, and reluctant to fly, preferring to creep away instead. Even when flushed, it keeps low and soon drops back into cover." Sounds like they would be easy to catch.

"There are 130 species of quails worldwide. They are small, short-tailed game birds of the family Phasianidae (order Galliformes), resembling partridges but generally smaller and less robust. The 36 species of New World quail more nearly resemble Old World partridges", from From borealforest.org, "California Quail."

We have the California, Scaled, Mountain, Gambel's(The bird's average length is 11 inches (30 cm) with a wingspan of 14-16 inches (35-40 cm), Montezuma Quails and the Northern Bobwhite here in North America. Several have a head plume and many are quite colorful.

Photos in order top to bottom are: Chinese Painted Quail, Gambel's Quail, Northern Bobwhite, and Scaled Quail. (From Wikipedia.org)

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.