Jewel # 456 (Sept. 22, 2021)

 

"And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in the day when I 

make up MY JEWELS.’'

Malachi 3:17 

To My dear grandchildren

The Busy Phalaropes

Part 2

"Thus saith the Lord, Thy Redeemer . . . I am the Lord that maketh all things.” Isaiah 44:24 

0n the last issue it was mentioned that the mother phalarope has some strange ways.  One examples is that the female birds prefer to  travel without their mates, and in flying either north in the spring or south in the fall, they always arrive at their destination a few weeks ahead of their mates.

Arriving at a promising area, each female selects a spot for a nesting site.  She works with her strong legs digging a shallow nest in the dirt, either close to a pool of clean water or sometimes in a meadow a short distance away.  When she has finished the digging, she leaves it up to the male to line the hole with moss or leaves when he arrives.  Usually the females make their nests near others, to form a sort of colony.

When the males arrive, each female picks out a  mate.  Then she shows him her nest and soon is busy laying three or four eggs.  After this she leaves him, and he takes over the responsibility of incubating the eggs and taking care of the chicks when they hatch.  Sometimes the mother bird will decide to raise a double family.  She will build another nest, lay eggs in it, and this time, seeing her mate is already busy on the first nest, she actually takes over and incubates and raises the second group herself.  Aren’t these strange things for a mother bird to do?

When fall weather is coming, the mother birds leave the little ones with the father birds and depart by themselves for the tropical lands where they will eventually arrive to spend the winter.  A few weeks later those left behind also leave on the same journey, joining her at a stopping point on the way.

A main stopping point for the Wilson’s species is small Mono Lake in the mountains of California.  This lake is quite salty and the home of myriads of little creatures called brine shrimp, which the phalaropes especially like.  At Mono Lake the birds stop for a month or more, refreshing themselves with this nutritious food as well as mosquitoes and brine flies, fattening up and renewing strength for the rest of their journey.  Thousands of them leave together temporarily darkening the sky as they take off.

In the lives of these interesting birds, we easily see God’s wonderful care over them and His wisdom in directing them north in the summer and south in the winter, to preserve their great numbers and provide ample food for them at all times of the year.

His ways are best for each of us too, and the Bible gives us  good counsel saying, “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:6). 

Love you all - Grandpa

Jewel # 455 (Sept. 16, 2021)

 

Wilson’s Phalarope

And they shall be Mine , saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I 

make up MY JEWELS.

Malachi 3:17 

To my dear grandchildren

The busy Phalaropes - Part 1

“God created . . . every winged fowl after his kind.”  Genesis 1:21

You may never have heard of the pretty sandpile-like birds called phalaropes.  There are great numbers of them that travel thousands of miles every year, mainly between the cold Arctic lands of the north and the warm tropical countries of Central and South America.  Some travel even farther south, to West Africa, New Guinea and the coasts of Arabia.  Those that make the longest trips fly 15,000 miles each year in their round-trip migrations.

There are three species of this strange bird.  One is know as the Gray (but sometimes called the Red); another has the name of Red-necked (also called the Northern), and the largest of them all is the Wilson’s.

The Gray phalarope travels in early summer up into the Arctic tundra areas where great quantities of food await it.  The Red-necked  (Northern) prefers to have its summer home a little farther south, sometime as far south as Canada.  The Wilson’s variety chooses areas farther south yet, nesting in souther Canada and along the northern border of the United States.

Because the Wilson’s phalarope spends part of its time in California where it can be observed closely, more is know about it than the others, so we will limit our study mostly to that species.

The colouring of all these birds is different in summer than in winter.  The one called Gray has gray and white plumage  in winter, but is bright red in summer.  The Wilson’s, on the other hand is also a very pretty bird in summer; its wings, neck and the top of its head area combination of blue, orange and deep red with the rest of its body white.  In winter its colouring changes, giving it brown wings and legs and a brown crest on the top of its head, but plain white over the rest of its body.

The Creator equipped these birds with long legs, partially webbed feet and long beaks, all of which are useful as they wade along shorelines, searching for insects and food particles.  But they are also good swimmers and have been given thick, waterproof feathers that help them float high on the water.

With most birds, the male has the outstanding colourful feathers, but with these it is just the opposite. Especially during ht nesting period, the females are actually the prettiest and like to show off their colourful feathers when trying to attract a mate.  The mother bird is also a little larger that her companion (just the opposite of most other birds) and has some strange ways about her, which which we will look at in the following issue.

Meanwhile, let us never forget that “all thing were made by Him [the Lord God] and without Him was 

not anything made that made.  (John 1:3)  

(to be continued)

Love you all - Grandpa

Jewel # 454 (Sept. 10, 2021)

 

And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I

make up MY JEWELS.

Malachi 3:17

To my dear grandchildren

The Peccary or Javelina 

Surely I will remember Thy wonders of old.  I will meditate also of all Thy work, 

and talk of Thy doings.  Psalm 77:11-12

Peccaries, also called javelinas, are related to wild hogs and live in the deserts of the southwestern United States and South America.  They are also called collared peccaries because of a white band around their chests.  The rest of their bodies are dark gray.  They look like pigs but are smaller, weighting only 30 to 60 pounds.  Like pigs they grunt, have large heads, short necks, tough, round snouts, short canine teeth and stubby tails.  Their feet are different from pig’s feet.  The Creator gave peccaries feet suitable for fast running and clinging to rocks.

Unlike pigs, which have large litters, peccaries usually give birth to twins, which are about the size of rabbits.  Within two days, the mother takes the babies to join the herd.  Peccary herds stay close together, and the babies get lots of attention.  When one of them is hungry, any sow will allow it to nurse.  Adults also let the babies jump over them, push them aside, and even steal food from them.

The herd spends most of its time feeding on acorns, parts of cactus plants, seeds, insects and occasionally a lizard or rattlesnake.   Each herd is identified by its own musky smell.  If an outsider comes into their territory, it is quickly discovered and chased out.  However, they prefer to live peaceably and will flee from danger.  But if cornered, they will defend themselves viciously with their sharp teeth.  Their most common natural enemy is the jaguar.  Normally, they run away when a human gets close to them, as may happen because of their poor eyesight.

Peccaries live an unhurried life and in warm weather indulge in afternoon naps in beds prepared beforehand.  They have these in areas of soft dirt which they dig up with their tough snouts, leaving hollows where they snuggle down for long naps.  At night they have similar sleeping places, but in a different area.

These animals are another example of how the Lord God has populated the earth with living creatures of all kinds.  He delights in His creation and cares for all of it.  The Bible says, “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord” (Psalm 33:5).  

However, the Lord Jesus did not die on the cross to provide everlasting life for animals.  In His great love, He died on the cross for people who will place their trust in Him.  If you have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you can say, “O Lord, Thou art my God; I will exalt Thee, I will praise Thy name; for Thou hast done wonderful things” (Isaiah 25:1).

Love you all - Grandpa