DAY 171: HOU JOU BEAK!

This awesome picture has been around on Facebook etc. for a while now, but is worth a mention as not only is it very unusual & so well captured by the photographer, but it also fits in so beautifully with my previous post on words!

The bird on the left HAS to be a male, and the one on the right the female being told to 'hou jou bek (beak, LOL).  

However, there are always exceptions to the rule so one has to generalise - I know several females who find difficulty in opening their mouths (YES, REALLY!)
except to be polite, but I guess that changes with age and experience of life.  

DAY 170: 156 WORDS

                                      

Two thousand squawks, I mean words, per day, or five thousand?   

That depends on whether you are male or female.  

The bird on the right is male, I think, and his lady is telling him 

EVERYTHING he needs to know.

I'm grateful for a husband who understands me and let's me ramble on

until my five thousand run out!  I'm not so happy though when 

I want to hear stuff from him and he drips out about fifty words only. 

Grrrrrrrrrr!

But it can get a bit much when one is a captive audience to a whole 

barrage of stuff in which you have no interest whatsoever ..... Like,

recently we were at a restaurant for dinner and seated unfortunately

close to a couple - she had a very piercing voice which blasted out, non-stop,

at least ten thousand words in the space of an hour!  Her partner spent

the time eating and looking bored, and so did we......

Do you realise you have just read my 156 words?

DAY 169: GREY CROWNED CRANE

Our very own grey crowned crane is more than just an impressively decorated feathered friend, but is also quite unique among its fellow crane species, i.e. wattled cranes and the blue cranes, because this particular crane is the only one that roosts in trees.  

It's sad to discover that the grey crowned crane is quite an endangered species - apparently it spends a lot of time foraging in farmlands, and is at risk with the farmers who think the cranes are eating their crops.  The truth is that they eat grass seeds and insects off the crops, so they are an important part of the ecosystem. 

DAY 168: CLEVER LITTLE CHICKS

It's a myth that chickens are stupid. Would you believe this - new research has shown that newly-hatched chickens are capable of skills that it can take human babies months or even years to master.

Fields of intelligence ranging from structural engineering to self-control appear to come more naturally to chicks than toddlers.

In one test, the birds were allowed access to more food the longer they waited to start eating. While 93 per cent of hens were able to grasp this skill, comparable studies have suggested many humans cannot exhibit this kind of self-control until the age of four.

The study suggested that chicks are born with the ability to keep track of numbers up to five - preferring larger groups of eggs - a skill which babies need to be taught.  Chickens also reportedly have an instinctive ability to recognise structurally sound objects, favouring these over ones which seem dubious or inconsistent. And they show awareness of objects which fall out of sight, keeping track of them in a way that is alien to babies up to the age of about one.

Professor Nichol, who reviewed 20 years of research on the topic for the University of Bristol, said:

"Chickens may not be about to make a significant mathematical, scientific or literary contribution to the world, but the study shows that chickens have the capacity to master skills and develop abilities that a human child can take months and years to accomplish."

DAY 167: NOSEY BUSINESS

Busy, busy, busy......

Don't disturb, busy doing what I am meant to be doing.

That is what is important!

We can spend time doing stuff that bears no fruit, or we can lock into 

what we are meant to be doing.  We have all been wired in very specific 

and different ways, and we know, deep down, when we are moving in that 

important direction.  

It's good to have your nose in your own business!

DAY 166: LIVING SERIOUSLY

Life as it is lived today, is hectic, stressful, busy, and generally speaking, there is much to be very serious about.  There are a few naturally jolly souls around, I'm sure, but most people have their serious noses fixed firmly to the grindstone. 

Other matters that make for serious hearts and faces are health problems, lack of finances, relationships, the general state of the world today as explicitly revealed to us in the media, and so on.   So, the question, 'why so serious?' could elicit many easy answers.

I haven't found a picture saying 'why so happy!' - but one of the recipes for a happy life must surely be a sense of humour.  The more important formula for happiness is found in the words of Jesus:

'Come unto Me, all who labour and are 

heavy laden, and I will give you rest.'

DAY 165: PENGUIN PEBBLES

That's rather a lovely thought.  Almost like an engagement ring!

I wondered how accurate this info is, so googled it and found the following:

Q) Is the story about penguins giving a pebble a true story? 

A) Yes this is a true story. When choosing a mate a penguin must find a perfect pebble to offer to their desired mate. If accepted, the penguins become monogamous mates for life. Even if separated by ice barges or storms they will stay true to their first accepted mate searching forever for them until found. This is the documented historical truth about penguins.

So, needless to say, someone saw the opportunity to make money out of it, and hey presto! we have a website where, for a price, you can order 'A PERFECT PENGUIN PEBBLE' as a romantic gift for your loved one.  You may also entertain wonderful thoughts that it įs a genuine 'penguin pebble' whatever that may mean - but hey, someone went and picked up an old pebble on the beach.

Hmmm, some peeps are truly gullible.........

DAY 164: IN THE MOMENT

In BIRDS AND STATUES PART 3, check how the bird is standing to attention, ready for military action, mirroring the stance of the soldier statue!

I guess you could say he was 'in the moment' - and isn't that such an important aspect of life?

It's very easy to allow life to pass one by, and it's comfortable too. But life is too short and too interesting not to be fully alive.  May The Lord grant us the ability to enjoy every day granted to us, with thanksgiving.

DAY 163: BIRDS & STATUES Part 2

This man-statue had sufficient time and warning, and looks quite intimidated by the pigeons.  No doubt who has the upper hand (wing) in this particular situation.

Sometimes in life it pays to simply cover your head, hunker down, and stay out of trouble. Other times you have to stand up and fight, or argue - but generally a soft answer turns away wrath and the clouds blow over.        

DAY162: BIRDS & STATUES Part 1

When the artist fashioned his masterpiece, did he anticipate the delight it would bring to the world of birds,  I wonder.

Birds are always looking for places to roost, build nests, watch the world pass by, and certain other things which I wont mention for purposes of delicacy!!
But statues do make for some interesting backgrounds for my blog, so expect more.  

This particular statue fuels my imagination - imagine if it suddenly came to life (like the various museum figures in the recent movie) - well, our feathery friend would either escape within a feathers-breadth, or would get totally flattened and never know what hit him.......

DAY 161: CLOSE FELLOWSHIP

Friendship is a wonderful thing, isn't it? Time spent chatting with people you enjoy, swopping ideas and catching up on news.  People you can just be yourself with, no agenda, sharing food and memories, music and hobbies.  

But fellowship is something even sweeter and more enjoyable - and different. No matter how well or little you know the people, fellowship is something that draws people together in a common belief.  Because we have been made of one blood in Jesus Christ, we are family.  And we will always belong to one another, throughout eternity, according to God's promises.

DAY 160: LONG-PLAYING RECORDS

Not so strange to see this little guy trying to get some sound out of the music player - birds enjoy music, that's why they sing so well!

And the other interesting thing is that vinyls, or LPs are back. We were looking at a gizmo in the music shop recently that transfers your vinyl onto a flash drive!  So you can resurrect all your old jazz and Elvis LPs and transform them into mp3s and do all sorts of magical things.  Of course, you first need to have a spare R3000 hanging around, or someone that loves you very much and can spend a hefty sum on a birthday pressie!

If you live long enough everything makes a comeback, it seems.  

DAY 159: KNOCK IT OFF!

Any parent will relate to this situation, i.e. when the kids get irritable with each other and the slightest infringement is met with murderous retaliation! Its very real at the time, but there is a time to grow up and out of all that nonsense: 

1 Corinthians 13:11:  
When I was a child, 
I spoke as a child, 
I understood as a child, 
I thought as a child; 
but when I became a man, 
I put away childish things.  

Day 158: LIVING UNDER A RED LIGHT

This is where Mama decided to build her nest, so this is where they live!
They could be living on the branch of a beautiful green tree in a meadow, but no, this is where Mama chose.

'Bloom where you are planted' comes to mind.  Make the very best of what has been given to you. Don't waste time complaining & grumbling about your lot in life, but look for the way the Lord is leading you to live the abundant life promised to us in scripture.  There may be a red light NOW (lol) but it will change to green every time! 



 

DAY 157: OBSTACLES

Our little friend here appears to be a bit overtaken by the obstacle in front of him.  It reaches up to his little chest, and looks rather forbidding with jagged edges.

Its the same with some of the obstacles we face in life, from time to time - they seem to reach up so high and make us feel as if we are trapped. They also have ugly jagged edges sometimes.

The good news in the case of our birdie is that all he has to do is spread his wings and fly, and he will be on his way, free as a bird (lol). Maybe he forgot he has wings! 

Our good news is that no matter what obstacles face us, we are overcomers through the One who loved us and gave His life for us.  Victory in Jesus!  All we have to do is spread our wings and fly, free as the bird!   Let's never forget that we were born to fly........

DAY 156: GANNETS PART 3

  

As you can see from the picture the gannets all look exactly like each other, and there are hundreds & hundreds of them all clumped together in a relatively small space.  So the question arises - they fly off to scavenge for food & return to feed their young, but how do they know who is who and where their young and their nesting places are when they return?

As we sat in the bird hide, watching the gannets with great fascination, lots of questions like these arose in my mind.  There's a constant activity, with birds flying out, others returning & circling above the masses, making a tremendous amount of noise.  These birds are so incredibly programmed to find their way, find their nesting place amongst the multitudes, find their food and so on.  

Another interesting point is that each bird needs to consume about 500 - 750 g of fish per day to survive.  That's about 2 cups!  So they are amazing fishers 
and dive down into the waves to spear fish.  

DAY 155: GANNETS Part 2

All birds are interesting, of course.  So when you can spend some time looking at them and watching their behaviour, it helps you to realise how varied they are, just like human beings!

During our viewing at the Lambert's Bay bird hide, we watched the Gannets performing their rituals - one of which is pictured above, called 'scissoring.'  They do this several times, then bow to each other like in old fashioned English dancing.  Very cute. 

DAY 154: GANNETS - Part 1

We've just spent a week at Mykonos, Langebaan, and during that time, paid a visit to Lambert's Bay - it took about 2 hours to do the trip up the West Coast but was well worth it.  

For those who have never been to Lambert's Bay, the main attraction is the Cape Gannet colony. (The fish & chips were also good!)  There are approximately twenty thousand pairs of breeding gannets on Bird Island, which actually isn’t an island at all, but an area joined to the mainland by a short causeway.  It’s a very (VERY) smelly & noisy place so it’s a relief to go into the bird hide to get away from the stench of the guano.  From the hide one has a really magnificent view of the birds as they gather in their thousands.   

A telephoto lens would have been nice........   

DAY 153: CHUBBINESS

We sometimes find ourselves in peculiar situations, and wonder how it happened!  Like this little chap.  

Suggestion:  He was very hungry or very greedy, and began eating away at the slice of bread, and before long, while indulging himself, he became trapped by his appetite.  

Hmmm....I think I must check out some diets....or maybe a healthier lifestyle that will lose me a few kgs.   My dad used to say: you only get chubby as a result of eating.  I think he was right......

DAY 152: ALL THINGS BRIGHT & BEAUTIFUL

Birds inter-acting with humans:

If you also close your eyes, you can almost feel the softness of the downy duck!  I can understand how irresistible it was 

to want to give the little creature a little kiss....

We're so blessed to have been given our five senses - imagine life without being able to 

- see all the beauty around us

- smell the wonderful aromas of life

- taste delicious food ....and CHOCOLATE

- hear wonderful music and other good sounds

- touch and handle, create with our hands

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Reminds me of the hymn we sang as children...

All things bright and beautiful

All creatures great and small

All things wise and wonderful

The Lord God made them all

Each little flower that opens,

Each little bird that sings

He made their glowing colours

He made their tiny wings

DAY 151: WHAT'S NEWS?

Birds inter-acting with humans:

You didn't know birds can read....

You didn't know birds are interested in the news headlines....

Neither did I!

But here we have proof.

An imaginary conversation could be:

'Hey bud, read faster, I've been through both pages

and are you sleeping or what?' 

That's the bird...

The guy - he's in his nothing box!

DAY 150: DONT EVER GIVE UP!

Birds inter-acting with other creatures:

If you are living in a 'dog eats dog world' don't be surprised. Even a frog doesn't stand much of a chance against a pelican, but he didn't give up easily....he fought until the bitter end, and the pelican undoubtedly flew away with a full tummy but a sore neck!

Makes one think about the stuff that grabs you around the neck......I think man's (and woman's) natural predator is actually our own thinking mechanism - the brain.  Switching it on and switching it off at the appropriate times. Aha! There lies the problem....but the important message is:  don't you dare ever give up!

DAY 149: MEALS ON LONG LEGS

Birds inter-acting with giraffes....

The tickbird (or oxpecker)and the giraffe have a symbiotic relationship that some scientists describe as mutualism and some as parasitism. This interspecies partnership is lopsided in favor of the giraffe and other animals, because they can live without the tickbird, while the tickbird is dependent on them for much of his food.

A secondary benefit to a host from the tickbird's presence is a sort of early warning system, since the birds make a hissing sound if they sight an enemy. This is of less benefit to the giraffe than to other hosts because the giraffe has the advantage of great height and keen eyesight and is fully capable of spotting predators without the bird's assistance. The tickbird is likely of greater benefit in this capacity to the nearsighted rhino.

DAY 148: WHO'S THE BOSS?

In order to be the boss in a situation like this one,  the aspiring boss must be certain of a few important things:

- you are bigger

- you are crosser

- you can fly

- you are sure the croc doesn't enjoy eating pelican feathers

- you saw the croc gorging himself on a big meal before you                

  decided to stomp on his head!

Preferably all the above....and good luck!

DAY 147: FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT

Birds inter-acting with exactly their own kind.....

Birds inter-acting with other kinds of birds.........

Birds inter-acting with other creatures...............

Like a Praying Mantis.......

But in this picture, I don't think the Praying Mantis is doing much praying - he looks like he's ready for a fight....

like: 'put 'em up, pal!'

And well he may put up a fight, but you and I know who will win this one.......shame!

We too, are in a battle, but a spiritual one.  Fight the good fight stuff.  However, the battle has actually been won and all we have to do is enforce the victory and possess the land. 

Think of the golden crowns, and the Rider on the white horse referred to in the Book of Revelations.....Jesus has won the victor's crown.  Glory!