Archive for the ‘Eagle's Morsals’ Category
His Eye Is On The Sparrow
Happy Sunday, everyone! What a glorious day. It sure beat out the dark and dismal cold and snowy days of our previous weekends. So, what’s with the title, you ask? It is one of my favorite hymns, and it has been running through my head since church this morning.
“I sing because I’m happy; I sing because I’m free. For His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me.” You see I am always looking for how God wants to use me to bring more to his saving grace and to make a difference in someone’s life. I don’t believe in coincidences, so when I have a wonderful and positive encounter with a stranger, I know that God is using me. I know that if we keep trusting in him and singing His songs, others will catch on.
If you ever have a moment when you feel like GOD can’t use YOU, just remember that Noah was a drunk, Abraham was too old, Isaac was a daydreamer, Jacob was a liar, Leah was ugly, Joseph was abused, Moses stuttered, Gideon was afraid, Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer, Rahab was prostitute, Job went bankrupt, Peter denied Crist, the Disciples fell asleep while praying, and Lazarus was dead! So, no more excuses; God will use you to your full potential if you let him. Afterall, you are not the message, just the messenger.
I am a birdwatcher, a birder, whatever the term should be. I sing because I am a happy birdwatcher when the sparrows are singing at the bird feeders in my backyard. God Bless!
Spread Your Wings
“He who has imagination without learning, has wings and no feet.” Joseph Joubert
Imagination: Webster defines it as, “the act or power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses or never before wholly perceived in reality; creative ability and the creation of the mind”.
I have used the quote and the definition before because I think it is imperative that we all allow the God-given creativity to run rampid. Did you ever let your imagination go a little wild - let the creative juices flow? I think we all have. It’s when we have the vision and don’t follow through that we crash and burn. The wings spread wide, we take off, and then at the first sign of turbulence come tumbling down.
We have a couple of choices after the crash. I choose to pick myself off, brush myself off and spread those wings again, taking with me the lessons learned from the previous failures. The alternative, well, I won’t even go there right now, as I am imagining a week filled with challenges and new beginnings, a wonderful walk in the woods with my binoculars, a trip to the ice rink with my grandchildren where I will see some bird species that don’t regularly visit my hopper bird feeder, and a glorious day on Thursday and Friday even though there is a snow storm in the forecast- spread those wings!!
It Is All In The Way We Perceive It
The news headlines still seem focused on the economy. It is so easy for all of us to lose sight of some the promises that have been made to us. Yesterday, when it all seemed to be caving in on me, and I needed the solace of His Word, I received this passage in an email. It was if it dropped in on the wings of an eagle:
“So I tell you, don’t worry about everyday life– whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn’t life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not. And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won’t he more surely care for you? You have so little faith! So don’t worry about having enough food or drink or clothing. Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.” Matthew 6:25-33
Today, as I watched the cardinals feeding at the platform feeder at daybreak, I counted my many blessings and said thanks. Have a wonderful Sunday.
A Fun Day With More To Come
There aren’t too many days that are as perfect as this one. First and foremost, there wasn’t a flake of new snow. Dinner was great, and I got to share it with my son, his wife and 3 children. We always have a wonderful time. Even better, two of my grandchildren stayed overnight and tomorrow we are picking up 2 more of my grandchildren and we are off on a day long excursion.
The window bird feeder will need filling once again tomorrow. The juncos were devouring every seed they could find. And the two little blue birds who braved the old and took a dip in the heated bird bath enjoyed their mealworms from the mealworm feeder
.
There were a few times throughout the course of the day when there wasn’t a bird to be seen anywhere. Those hawks keep thinking this is great hunting ground. Seems like the little birds are winning.
Wishing you
A special weekend filled with fun, snowmen, snowball fights, friends, family and love.
What a great time I had today trudging up the hill to fill the finch feeders and the tube feeders! Through 30 + inches - not really too easy, but well worth it in the end when the birds came to call for their dinner!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Mirrors Of The Mind
How we think shows through in how we act. Attitudes are mirrows of the mind. They reflect thinking. David J. Schwartz, Trainer & Author
Have you looked at the All-weather bird feeder yet? It is available in both 4 and 6 quart. As bird feeders go, it is super at this time of year because of the large capacity. It functions as a tube bird feeder, but it does not require frequent filling.
And, it can satisfy a lot of your backyard friends in one sitting.
Just A Thought
“Words can never adequately convey the incredible impact of our attitudes toward life. The longer I live, the more convinced I become that life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to it.” Charles Swindoll, Author & Pastor
So, with that thought, choose to make it a joyful weekend. Take a walk in the park, the woods or just around the block. Fill all of you bird feeders and don’t forget to check the suet supply and the water in the heated bird bath.
Have an awesome weekend!
Levelling the Lopsided
It’s amazing to me what effect a few storms of rain and snow, and a few windy days can have on my gardens. Yesterday afternoon was a very lovely one for late January, so I wandered out with bird watching in mind, and then did anything but, until I spotted the line-up on the fence.
A close look at things let me see how lopsided things had gotten. The double shepherds hook that holds the meal worms and platform feeder was decidedly leaning, so that got straightened as did all the path lights, and then as I headed to the butterfly garden to freshen the water in the bird bath, I stopped in my tracks. The fence that is our neighbor’s and stands several feet above the garden because of the hilly terrain, was lined from one end to the other with birds. There was a combination of house finches, goldfinches, several doves, a couple of starlings and to totally amaze me a woodpecker. I stood and just stared at the line-up of my friends. Their feeders were full, the suet was there, and still they just sat. As I eased down the hill to get closer, they all flew away. I supposed I spooked them when I got too close.
So, I kept to my tasks and took the old water out of the bird bath and since it was lopsided and leaning like everything else, I leveled it before filling it with fresh water.
It was a nice taste of spring like weather which is about to come to an end in a day or so. There’s even snow in the long term forecast. So I guess it’s not just the outdoor ornaments and the bird bath that are lopsided - the weather is still topsy turvy too.
Did You Know
Peregrine Falcon
Birds have feathers, but not another living creature does
Do you sleep with one eye open? Many birds do. They do it so their predators cannot come toward them without being seen
When an Eagle strikes, the force is twice that of a bullet shot from a rifle
A male great bustard can weigh as much as 46 pounds. They can still fly and that makes them the largest of the flying birds
The fastest of the flying birds in the world is the peregrine falcon. They can reach speeds in excess of 200 miles per hour
The hawk has probably got the best eyesight. They have been known to spot a mouse in a field from a height of one mile
Hard-boiled ostrich eggs? Only if you have a couple of hours. It takes 2 hours of boiling them to get them to a hard-boiled state
Next time you are filling your bird feeders, or adding water to the heated bird bath, just remember a falcon could be needing a meal and a bath. It could be a treat!
An Overlooked Treasure
The white-throated sparrow is a member of the finch family that often gets overlooked. Poor little thing gets bunched together with the other finches and sparrows, and yet, when I pay attention, I realize that this small bird is a special addition to the backyard. So I am singling him out.
The white-throated sparrow, as I said is a member of the finch family. They frequent not only my yard, but yards all over. They have a delightful song too.
We have some of them around here in the summer, and in the winter they are much more abundant because they migrate here from the north and Canada. Besides the white throat, they have yellow markings above each eye. Their heads are stiped with either black and white or brown and white. They aren’t shy and do spend some time at the window feeder, but most often I find them at the all weather feeder with a tray. Keep your eyes open for them.
