@don3
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Praying for you all.
In due season we shall reap if we faint not.
The assignment may be simple in nature but I know that it still requires the strength and blessing God gives.The Crows we have here were very active this morning despite incessant rain.
After such a thrilling webinar, seeing them reminded me of your all’s Raven/Crow/Magpie/Cockatoo/Kea/Fantail/Tui/Blue Jay pictures!
Judging was quite a feat. Thank you again for the variety of pictures. I will look forward to sending prizes and replying to more of the previous comments when I have time.Good to see the fruit of your labors and hear about the lessons behind the photographs.
Isn’t it satisfying when your own personal experience can reach out and pull from natural history, mechanics, raw ingenuity, and God-given opportunities to produce an inspiring piece of artwork?! We have begun to scratch the surface of Jesus’ love and wisdom in the command of Matthew 6:26!!!
A memorable Memorial Day to those in the States and I very much anticipate seeing what everyone comes up with for the June assignment as well.
What a team!
@darien-radcliffe, the first one with yellow also has enough black to be a Dickcissel (“Dicky bird”). It also has a stouter beak than the yellow-and-black Meadowlarks. Then the second one, though the deranged feathers give it the look of a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, may be a Mockingbird, especially if you remember seeing white flashes in the wings when it flew. And the third, I would have to leave it unidentified. The beak is not like a sparrow; the eye is large and expressive, almost like a dove; my best guess would be a young bluebird actually, or another thrush such as the Solitaire, which according to my book is only supposed to winter in your area.Good to see some grassland birds. All three certainly fall in the perching/sparrow type. The challenge might be that they don’t have their distinctive adult plumage yet, but perhaps a westerner can verify my guesses.
Appreciate your all’s willingness to take on a collage project with such details! I appreciate the input from New Zealand, Hawaii, etc. as well; @laura-aome, @tahliaco, anyone from Australia, there still may be a couple leads worth pursuing.
With the Ravens, I call to mind what Scripture says about them (being let out to go “to and fro” after the flood, bringing bread and meat to Elijah, calling out, having no storehouse …). What sets them apart from other birds is intelligence and this may account for some of those habits mentioned in Scripture. I am sure there are some seabirds which could be an equivalent to a Raven. I also read that Cockatoos and Keas exhibit strong intelligence if those are find-able.
Perhaps it is a wild goose chase, but there is a third avenue that may work. DNA studies show that the Raven (Corvid) family could include many southern exotic birds such as Drongos, Bellmagpies, and … the New Zealand Fantail (Link: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/nezfan1/cur/introduction). They are supposed to be relatively common. Do you see these where you live? If you do find one, I can count it for a Raven, and I would certainly want to hear whether such a tiny sparrow-like bird would show any Raven type mannerisms!
God bless you all to keep your eyes and ears open. If the birds seem too wild and free to photograph, just remember that’s why we are chasing them this month. It’s worth it. We will see what the Lord will bring.
Thank you again Lenspiration as well! I am looking forward to seeing what everyone comes up with.
Way to go. Persevero.
I am not a professional photographer; however, seeing hawks at our place over the week has reminded me often of this topic on birds of prey. Today, through the lens of the binoculars, I found a common Red-tailed Hawk. When it flew out of view behind some leaves that were closer to me, the image that I came away with was bright backlit greenery in the foreground with the hawk “way out there” in distant and unreachable heights. Though the hawk was not close up, it would have been an excellent picture. A few days earlier, a pair of them were circling in front of an enormous cloud. Again, from a photographer’s standpoint, I immediately thought how impressive a photograph of that composition would be, despite the birds themselves turning out small and dark, if that spacious cloud filled the frame behind them.
Things along those lines show the “eagle” type in its element. Rather than being your typical field guide photo, I need a snapshot of the soaring feeling that is unique to that type. It is worth repeating the objective: look for the variety that birds show between all five types.
“Best luck I’ve had is early mornings near open fields, just sit still and be patient. Binoculars help a lot for spotting them first.”
This is well said, Sam. Birds tend to be active where there is a merging of the habitats: between trees and grassy areas, grass and water, water and trees, or all three. Your comment also reminds me of that useful saying “First ear, then eyes, then binoculars” but you could also add “and then camera”!
One more tip for a good view: when possible, get between the bird and the sun.
Yes they would @parrisfamily!
They are good examples of marsh birds. Plus Rails and Coots, Egrets, Bitterns, Pelicans, and Cormorants, or down south, the Anhinga, Storks, Spoonbills, and Gallinules. They are less common than the Herons and Cranes mentioned in the Details, but that makes them more fulfilling to find and photograph. I still remember seeing my first Rail. We were actually at a marsh in the Mount Vernon/Washington DC area but there was a fearless King Rail that came right up to the boardwalk. It was a surprise from the Lord for me as a young birder. I haven’t seen another one for many years.
A discussion of marsh birds leads to what @kujiaaa was mentioning on the Q & A:
Frankly @Tahliaco I was surprised to learn that even the Osprey doesn’t occur in New Zealand. They range almost worldwide … but not the poles, Patagonia (southern South America), or several islands. (https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/pandio1/cur/introduction)
So what to do. Remember that Owls and Falcons count. Even though there are only a couple of species each, New Zealand does have those. I would be thrilled to have a silhouette of an owl on a fence post. By the way, a silhouette of a stuffed bird of prey could work just as well as a live one as far as the impression it gives. Last but not least, as has been brought up previously, there could be oceanic versions in all 5 categories. This is an interesting development and returns to the original question and the purpose behind the 5-part collage.
Classification questions bring us back to the Word of God.
Thinking of “Eagles”, what are the characteristics of the type in Scripture? The summary of their 30 references is that while their sharp eyesight, their taste for carrion, and their lofty nests are mentioned, the overwhelming majority of references point to their powerful wings–and it isn’t merely Isaiah 40:31. Lord-willing you can find something similar to an Eagle, whether an Albatross that soars, a cruising Frigatebird, an owl, a falcon, or the elusive hawk.
Let me know if it would help to post a list categorizing all of the bird orders and I may be able to find a way to do that.
@Talia, thank you. I’ll put a more general answer under Shoot to Serve.
Specifically though, don’t underestimate the value of praying about it. It would be a story you would remember for a long time if the Lord decided to bring a hawk by. I could hardly believe my eyes when the He brought a Whip-poor-will to our front yard last night.
God gives creativity.
Good point @Tahlia.
Geography is a major factor in this assignment and similar question have come up on the specific Shoot to Serve Forum.
Would it work all right to take up the question there with everyone?
@Loewen Family, this is interesting that you were able to experience true offshore birding.
Let me take the opportunity to say I’m aware that the seabirds have not been specifically spelled out in the project details, but photos of seabirds are good candidates for those of you who have occasion to get those. They illustrate variety that much more. Gulls (Kittiwakes!) and Terns could even qualify as Doves, which may help. Gulls and Terns are in the same Order as Puffins and Murres, of which one species is called the Dovekie, as if to say a “Dove of the sea”. Cormorants, along with sea ducks, fall closer to the Chicken type. I suppose there could be maritime eagle substitutes as well if you manage to photograph one of those famous Albatrosses or infamous Frigatebirds.
Speaking of oceans and islands, I am also aware that the Crow of Hawaii has recently gone extinct. My condolences … but perhaps that is where you can substitute your Parrot! Birds of Prey might be a challenge as well in Hawaii, but I see you have Ospreys at least. I know this is a challenge for you. Blessed birding.
@BlessingsCaptured, it’s good to hear that this assignment is turning out to be an educational one.
Thank you for your question. It was interesting that you asked about the Crow or Raven kind. It is fascinating to compare current classifications with Scripture to find the original created kinds (https://answersresearchjournal.org/avian-ark-kinds/). However, identifying every species of bird (or animal) in the field can become quite tedious quite quickly so, as you’ve found, it’s a breath of fresh air to “zoom out” and sort instead by Families, or the next level up, by Orders.
With only five birds named in the New Testament, this assignment is zooming out even more. Defining the project forced me to ask: “Under which of only 5 umbrella categories would all of the many created kinds/families/orders best fit?”–Even if they’re unrelated, how do I group them based on more general characteristics?
So the general rule of thumb is that by default a bird will fall under the Sparrow category unless it is specified elsewhere on the details page. (Worldwide they say there are about 250 bird families, and 150 of those, three-fifths, belong to the single Order called Passeriformes; most common birds then are the small Sparrow kind also known as Perching Birds or Songbirds.) Examples would be yes, Cowbirds, Blackbirds, Orioles, Cardinals, Wrens, Thrushes and Bluebirds, Mimic Thrushes (Mockingbird, Catbird, Thrasher), Finches, Flycatchers, Warblers and Vireos.
That’s thrilling that you could be a part of the Nature Friend Bird Count. As it says in Matthew 6:26, the birds are there if we notice them. Learning their calls proves educational as well if you can strap that on.
Hi, I’m Donald with NicheFinder.
With the questions sparked here so far, I hope I can be of some help. First off though, please accept a thank you for the kind of service that you provide with Shoot to Serve. Everything I’ve seen so far, last month and this, has been a blessing.
The questions are excellent; enjoy the field work; we’ll see what God brings.
