Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) ©WikiC
Peter Learns Something He Hadn’t Guessed – Chapter 5
Tag Archives: Nature
The Hamerkop Has It’s Own Family
Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta) by Africaddict
“And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” So the evening and the morning were the fifth day.” (Genesis 1:22-23 NKJV)
What an interesting name for a bird. He is not a policeman (cop), but its head does, sort of, look like a hammer. Don’t you agree?
Goodly Hammer ©Flickr Lenore Edman
Hamerkops are in a family by itself, because the birding authorities are not sure which family to add it to. So, they made a family, called the Scopidae Family.
“The single Hamerkop in this family lives in sub-Saharan Africa and has unique habits and behavior. It has a few features like those of herons. It has an odd mix of other habits which are similar to the shoebill, flamingos, and storks. It has ectoparasites that are otherwise found only in plovers. Given this, its origin and relationship to other birds are considered unclear (Roberson 2012), so it is considered here to belong to its own kind.” By Dr. Jean Lightner (See below)
Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta) at NA by Dan
It is found in Africa, Madagascar to Arabia, living in a wide variety of wetlands, including estuaries, lakesides, fish ponds, riverbanks and rocky coasts.
Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta) With Nesting Material ©WikiC
The strangest aspect of hamerkop behaviour is the huge nest, sometimes more than 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) across, and strong enough to support a man’s weight. When possible, it is built in the fork of a tree, often over water, but if necessary it is built on a bank, a cliff, a human-built wall or dam, or on the ground. A pair starts by making a platform of sticks held together with mud, then builds walls and a domed roof. A mud-plastered entrance 13–18 centimetres (5.1–7.1 in) wide in the bottom leads through a tunnel up to 60 centimetres (24 in) long to a nesting chamber big enough for the parents and young.
Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta) Nest in Acacia Tree ©WikiC
Nests have been recorded to take between 10 and 14 weeks to build, and one researcher estimated that they would require around 8000 sticks or bunches of grass to complete. Nesting material may still be added by the pair after the nest has been completed and eggs have been laid. Much of the nesting material added after completion is not sticks but an odd collection of random items including bones, hide and human waste.
Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta) by Africaddict
This is just another one of The Lord’s Avian Wonders. Just thought you might enjoy reading about this neat bird.
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Hamerkop’s Scopidae Family
Birdwatching the National Aviary – Tropical Forest
An Initial Estimate of Avian Ark Kinds by Dr. Jean Lightner on November 27, 2013
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Bible Birds – Storks at Zoo Tampa
Yellow-billed Stork (Mycteria ibis) LPZ
“Where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house.” (Psalms 104:17 KJV)
Bible Birds – Storks at Zoo Tampa
Relocated Here
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Chippy, Sweetvoice, and Dotty – Chapter 4
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) by Quy Tran
Chippy, Sweetvoice, and Dotty
The Chipping, Vesper and Tree Sparrows
The Burgess Bird Book For Children
Relocated – Click Here
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Tiny Owl and Giant Shepherd Dog
“A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24 NKJV)
The Lord created these two types of critters, an owlet and a German Shepherd, and He cares much about them.
God created men and women, boys and girls, who are different from these critters, and He provides salvation for us. He is that Friend who sticks closer than a brother.
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Bible Birds – Sea Gull Introduction
Bible Birds – Sea Gulls Introduction
Bible Birds – Sea Gulls
“the ostrich, the short-eared owl, the sea gull, and the hawk after its kind;” (Leviticus 11:16 NKJV)
“and the ostrich, and the night-hawk, and the sea-mew, and the hawk after its kinds;” (Leviticus 11:16 JPS)
Relocated Here
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Bible Birds – Quail Introduction
King Quail (Excalfactoria chinensis) Asian Blue by Kent Nickel
The Quail is a bird that is mentioned in the Bible in four verses. All the verses tell about the time when the Israelites, in the desert, complained about missing the things that they ate back in Egypt. The LORD was tired of the complaining and sent them some Quail to eat.
Now, are we supposed to complain or grumble about things not going our way? No! Sometimes we do it anyway and the results aren’t what we expected. This is what happened to the Israelites.
“And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day’s journey on this side, and as it were a day’s journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high [almost 3 feet high] upon the face of the earth. And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.” (Numbers 11:31-32 KJV)
Have you ever eaten something, and then kept eating more, and then more? You should have stopped after the first part, right? This is what they did, sort of. The LORD gave them food, but they ate too much. Have you ever eaten too much and then became sick?
These people became sick and many of them died. It is sin that caused these Israelite to complain and not trust the Lord to take care of their needs. No, you are not going to get sick every time you complain, but you will make your parents and the Lord unhappy. Learn to obey your parents. “Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.” (Colossians 3:20 KJV)
Brown Quail(Coturnixypsilphora) by Ian
What is a Quail?
The Quail are in several families and are mid-sized birds generally placed in the order Galliformes. Old World quail are placed in the family Phasianidae, and New World quail are placed in the family Odontophoridae. Below are just two of the quail from each family.
The King Quail, an Old World quail, often is sold in the pet trade, and within this trade is commonly, though mistakenly, referred to as a “button quail”. Many of the common larger species are farm-raised for table food or egg consumption. In 2007, 40 million quail were produced in the U.S.
The Brown Quail (Coturnix ypsilophora), also an Old World quail and known as the swamp quail, silver quail and Tasmanian quail, is an Australasian true quail of the family Phasianidae. It is a small, ground-dwelling bird and is native to mainland Australia, Tasmania and Papua New Guinea and has been introduced to New Zealand and Fiji. Widespread and common throughout its large range
Gambel’s Quail (Callipepla gambelii) by Kent Nickel
The New World Quail Gambel’s quail (Callipepla gambelii) is a small ground-dwelling bird in the New World quail family. It inhabits the desert regions of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Texas, and Sonora; also New Mexico-border Chihuahua and the Colorado River region of Baja California. The Gambel’s quail is named in honor of William Gambel, a 19th-century naturalist and explorer of the Southwestern United States. Favorites of mine because of their top feather.]
California Quail (Callipepla californica) ©WikiC
The California quail (Callipepla californica), also known as the California valley quail or valley quail, is a small ground-dwelling bird in the New World quail family. These birds have a curving crest or plume, made of six feathers, that droops forward: black in males and brown in females; the flanks are brown with white streaks. Males have a dark brown cap and a black face with a brown back, a grey-blue chest and a light brown belly. Females and immature birds are mainly grey-brown with a light-colored belly. Their closest relative is Gambel’s quail which has a more southerly distribution and, a longer crest at 2.5 in (6.4 cm), a brighter head and a scalier appearance.
The collective noun for a group of quail is a flock, covey or bevy.
Watch for more Bible Birds – Quail posts.
- New World Quail Family
- Old World Quail Family
- Bible Birds
- Birds of the Bible – Quail
- Birds of the Bible
Other Links:
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Jenny Has a Good Word for Some Sparrows – Chapter 3
White-throated Sparrow by Ray
Jenny Has a Good Word for Some Sparrows
The Song, White-throated and Fox Sparrows.
The Burgess Bird Book For Children
Relocated – Click Here
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The Old Orchard Bully – Chapter 2
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) by Nikhil
The Old Orchard Bully
The English or House Sparrow
The Burgess Bird Book For Children
CHAPTER 2. The Old Orchard Bully.
Relocated – Click Here
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Singing Bird (Woodstock) and Snoopy
Yellow-throated Vireo (Vireo flavifrons) singing ©nebirdsplus
This time of the year, as Spring arrives, the birds like to sing. Woodstock is no different, even if he is only a cartoon bird.
Snoopy and Woodstock Singing
Even dogs like to sing:
Singing Dog Sign LPZ by Lee
Singing Dogs at Lowry Pk Zoo
“The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;” (Song of Solomon 2:12 KJV)
“Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.” (Isaiah 49:13 KJV)
Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) Neal Addy Gallery
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Taxi Please!
Great Egret on Alligator at Gatorland 3-8-16 by Lee
These two videos are of the Great Egret and Great Blue Heron using –
Gatorland’s Taxi Service.
To say they are somewhat nuts is mild. It is amazing how some mixed critters seem to get along, though.
We always enjoy our trips over to Orlando to see the activity. Sometimes weird and other times fine. The first video shows the Egret trying to let the gator to start moving. :)
“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.” (Isaiah 11:6-7 KJV)
These birds and alligators have learned to get along already. This is just a small taste of what it will be like when sin is removed from the world.
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Birds Illustrated by Color Photography Vol #1 – Complete
Eastern Wood Pewee (Contopus virens) by Raymond Barlow
Birds Illustrated by Color Photography Vol #1 – Complete
All the Volume #1 articles have been relocated to this blog, and hopefully, the links are all working. Yesterday, Vol 1 #5 and Vol #1 #6 were finished. The author of this series provided an Index of the first 6 volumes in alphabetical order by the last name of the bird.
Birds Vol 1 #6 – The Volume 1. January to June 1897 – Index
There really is much information in these post by a variety of birds. I rediscovered the Vol 1 #6 Bird Song I which was a joy for me to find. Here is an excerpt from that article:
Lee’s Addition:
By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches. (Psalms 104:12 KJV)
and the doors on the street are shut as the sound of the grinding mill is low, and one will arise at the sound of the bird, and all the daughters of song will sing softly. (Ecclesiastes 12:4 NASB)
What a delightful article about the birds singing. I suppose I can supplement this by adding some sounds of these birds. I use xeno-canto.org because they are available and have many to choose from.
Northern Mockingbird ( imitating Ash-throated Flycatcher, Juniper Titmouse, Western Scrub-Jay, and probably more)
Grey Catbird (meaw)
difficult notes of the Yellow-breasted Chat (whistles, grunts and rattles)
Carolina Wren sings, ‘cheerily, cheerily, cheerily.’
A Flicker, (kleeeyer or wik-wik-wik)
a Wood-pewee, (pee-a-weee and pee-yer)
Eastern Phoebe follow in quick succession. (fee-beee (last syllable raspy)
Then a Tufted Titmouse squeals. (peter peter peter)
English Sparrow
Tawny Owl (Best I can find out who is the “Tu-whit, tu-who”)
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Enjoy checking out the latest updated articles, especially Volumes 1 #5 and 1 #6.
The Birds, Illustrated by Color Photography
Birds of the Bible For Kids 