Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Birds of the Air



Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?

If you've followed  Meditations of My Heart for a while, you know that my husband, Danny, and I love to feed and watch the birds in our wooded backyard.  We keep the feeders well stocked, and even scatter sunflower seeds on the ground for the squirrels and chipmunks to enjoy.

Admittedly, unless it's migration time, we don't see a huge variety of birds.  Cardinals, nuthatches, mourning doves, and chickadees are our most frequent visitors.  We also have several species of woodpeckers, including the Downy and the Red-bellied, living in the surrounding forest.  We only glimpse them occasionally, but never at the feeder with the exception of the flicker.



Without a doubt, the most majestic birds are a resident pair of Red-tailed hawks.  Danny hit the jack pot last year and captured this shot of one magnificent raptor.



The most elusive bird in our forest, however, is the Pileated woodpecker.  Notorious for its primeval, raucous call and the deep, echoing drumming its beak  makes on dead trees, we more often than not hear the pileated, but rarely catch that coveted glimpse.





So, the other day (with no camera handy, I might add) when Danny and I are sitting on our deck, he leans forward, pointing urgently.

"The pileated!  He's on the ground near the feeder!"

We both stand slowly to get a better look.  Sure enough!  There he is, big as life, and lingering in one place longer than either us have ever witnessed.  Then, the pileated makes a most unexpected move.  He flaps his wings and settles on an arm of the wooden cross which marks our cat, Allie's, grave!!!  Now, we really wish we had our cameras!

But, the moment, like so many before it, is short-lived.  Within seconds, this giant spreads his wings and disappears back into the deep woods.  His haunting, cackling cry taunts us from afar.

And, we are left to wonder when we will see him again.

Thinking, too, that maybe we should always have our cameras with us when we sit out on our deck . . .

~

Have you ever had a "wish I had a camera" moment?  Please share!

Prayer:  Father, we thank You for all Your creatures, great and small.  May seeing them in their natural habitat remind us of the wonder that is our island, Earth.  All this we pray in Jesus' name.  Amen.

14 comments:

  1. Hi Martha, I enjoy watching birds too. Unfortunately, we moved from a wooded yard in the Midwest to a subdivision in the east and we don't get to see the variety of birds we used to see.

    Thank you for commenting on my post at Michelle DeRusha's place on May 30th. I was on vacation with no internet access and just returned home this past weekend. Yesterday was Amy's birthday, so I wasn't on the computer.

    Have a wonderful day.

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    1. Thanks so much for visiting, Mary! So enjoyed your guest post at Michelle's blog. Could you send me the link to your blog so I can follow you? Thanks!!!
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  2. Beautiful post, Martha. There have been many times that I regretted not having a camera. So many that I'm having difficulty coming up with one.

    Love and Blessings!

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    1. Lol! I've had those experiences a multitude of times, too. Thanks for dropping by today, Kim!
      Love and blessings!

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  3. I love this post and all the amazing pictures you have been able to capture with your camera! I have also had those moments I wished I had my camera. :)

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    1. Hubby gets all the credit for these photos, Kathy. Wish I could claim them! And, haven't we all had those "just darn" moments?
      Love and blessings!

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  4. Martha, I started watching birds when I met Joel. Not having much money in those days, it was something we could do that brought great enjoyment to both of us. And yes...many times I missed a great shot because the camera was in the house LOL.

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    1. It brings great enjoyment to us, too, Mary. And, thanks so much for your lengthy comment on Living the Scripture - we do have other birds seasonally - robins, towhees, and even the occasional bluebird and goldfinch. However, I only mentioned the ones we observe the most.
      And, I think all of us have experience the "I wish I had my camera" moments! :)
      Love and blessings!

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  5. I've usually had a camera on me for thos can't miss moments Martha. these days, we are permanently accessorized with cameras on our phones. The only frustrating thing is when the battery dies at the most inopportune moments.

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    1. Oh, yes, Vishnu, those pesky dead batteries! Also, photos from our phones are not as precise and easily "doctored" for improved images. Yet, they are wonderful for the instant memories they create for us. Sometimes, I find myself wondering what we did to visually recall events before the advent of cameras. Such a viable, wonderful tech tool!
      Love and blessings!

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  6. Hi Martha, I've missed you!
    I don't have any example of a day I missed having a camera because I never had one, by choice. I love lookig at photos, but not those I take. I feel like a photo would never reflect all the beauty I've seen so I prefer to keep the original memory in my mind.
    Much Love

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    1. That's great that you like keeping the original memory in your head and enjoy looking at others' photos. It's always a fun thing to do. :)
      I've missed you, too, my friend, and am so glad you are back to blogging!
      Love and blessings!

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  7. Lovely pictures and yes I realised the importance of a camera off late so much that I keep one always in my bag... what if I see something so beautiful that it has to be captured forever <3

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the photos and happy to know you are always prepared with your camera. :) Mine's quite bulky to carry around unless I'm somewhere intent on taking photos, but maybe I could learn to use my Iphone to take pictures. Still such a novice with it!
      Love and blessings!

      Delete

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