Northern Shoveler

Took this photo in November as ducks were migrating south.

Psalm 74:12

"Yet God is my king from of old, 

Who works deeds of deliverance in the midst of the earth."

Flock of Ducks

Caught these flock of ducks landing among their fellow ducks. When I would hunt ducks, we would put out decoys to attract their attention and get them to come to our blind.

Ducks would circle around a lake or pond looking to see if it was safe to land. If we were well hidden in our blind they would try to land among our decoys. The decoys would trick them into thinking it was safe.

Christians need to flock together and be in community. Don't be fooled by groups of people that claim to follow Jesus but deny Him by their actions. Find people that preach the Bible and work towards following its directions.

John 10:27,28 " My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand."

Northern Sholveler

The long and wide bills makes this duck distinctive.

Each and every day God shows His glory through creation. Thank you Jesus for the opportunity to watch your beauty the wonders you have made.

Mallard Ducks

I like this photo because of the reflection on the water, the sunlight on the Mallard drake's head and the Mallard hen in the background.

These ducks breed in Northern Canada also in Eurasia. They are one of the most prolific ducks and the domestic ducks come from mallards. They pair long before the spring breeding season. Only the female incubates the eggs and takes care of the ducklings.

Mallards like all ducks shed their feathers they use for flight after breeding. Because they can't fly they hide and their feathers change to be more camouflaged.

There are times in our life when we are more vulnerable. Turn to the Lord and abide under the shadow of His wings.

Psalm 91:1-4 "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”
3 For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper
And from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark."

American Coot

I don't ever see coots flying. They are content to swim away or run along the top of the water. But today was different. This was not just another day at the lake for these coots. Danger was in the air. I saw a Bald Eagle and all the birds knew he was around.

Danger has a way of waking people up. Defenses and preparations are made. The trouble is most people don't have a clue there is danger and live life as if nothing at all is wrong.  But we have an enemy and he is prowling to devour people spiritually. Many are easy pickings and lose their life spiritually because of the devastation that comes their way.

Don't be an easy target. Instead prepare for the future by returning to God and staying close to Him.

Mark 4:15 "Some are like the seeds along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them."

1 Peter 5:8 "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."

Father, I look to you. For You will pluck my feet out of the net. (Palm 25:15)

Northern Shoveler

Drake 

 Hen

This duck is widespread over North America. They are monogamous. They nest in grassy areas, away from open water. They are a common duck not having any danger in their population. They are 19 inches long and weigh 1.3 pounds. The large bill looks like the duck is out of balance.

The Shovelers have a larger bill than other ducks. The N. Shovelers bill is about 2 1/2 inches long. Their bills have filter type projections on their bills to separate the water from the food they eat.

The oldest Northern Shoveler was a male about sixteen 1/2 years banded in California and found in Nevada.

They don't feed in the mud at the bottom of the pond. This feeding habbit keeps them from getting lead buckshot in their system. The lead kills off those who eat this substance.

Like the N. Shoveler, Christians can stay away from trouble by not allowing immoral or too much media to occupy their mind. To follow Christ requires faith, trust and belief. When the teachings of the Bible are pushed out by bad stuff or just too much stuff, their health spiritually suffers.

Romans 12:2 "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

Father, I thank You for all the varieties and difference there are in nature.

Northern Pintail

The 2 ducks having a horizontal white stripe on their head are Northern pintails. Also IDed with longer neck, white breast and male has thin pintail.

They are  dabbling ducks.

List of:American Dabbling Ducks
American Black Duck
American Wigeon
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Gadwall
Green-winged Teal
Mallard
Mottled Duck
Northern Pintail
Northern Shoveler
Wood Duck

These ducks feed mainly on the top of the water rather than diving below for food.

The Northern Pintails average in population over five million. The added wetlands help to increase breeding. The population drops during dry years and increases in wet years. They hybrid with a number of different birds.

Pintails migrate early in spring and move north as soon as the wetlands are ice free.

This early migration is a type of eagerness that Christians should strive for. We should always be ready to go and serve as we are led by God.

1 Peter 3:15 "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;"

Father, I want to be eager to follow your directions.

Pied-Billed Grebe

Pied-billed Grebes don't fly well. They are not spotted often in flight. Usually they are seen on the water. They are divers and are able to hold water in their feathers to allow them to dive and stay under water for a while. They eat a lot of their own feathers, which is used to filter their food so that harmful parts won't get into their intestines.

Their defense is to dive under water. Sometimes they are submerged with just their eyes and bill out for breathing.

They build their nests in the water. They use the plants in the water to anchor their nests.

Pied-billed Grebes are water birds like ducks and can be IDed by the thick bill and large head and brown feathers.

The large head reminds me at times of people that think they know something. We need to remember, it is not what we know, but what we can testify of that matters. Life with Jesus does not consist of knowledge alone, but what we do with our knowledge in love for others.

1 Corinthians 8:1 "...knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies."

Father, lead me in the love You have for me.

Mallard Hen

Found this Mallard hen resting on a log back in April. She looks as if she has puffed out her feathers for warmth. When we hunted ducks by Mound City Missouri we would take them to the pickers and they would remove the feathers for us. These feathers would be used in down sleeping bags and coats. I owned a coat once and they were too hot for the winters of Missouri. I am sure this hen was comfy.

There is a comfort in Christ. Let us come to Him for comfort by reading His word and resting in His promises.

Matthew 11:28 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."

Father I thank you for the comfort you give in all times of life.

Northern Pintail

Vast area of distribution. Breeds in northern Europe, Asia and North America. Then winters south down to the equator.

The stripe on the side of the head is distinctive. The duck has a longish neck and the bill is blue gray and gray legs and feet. The males long tail feathers give point to its name.

Hens call is course quack and males sounds like a woodwind instrument whistle.

The nesting area is many times far removed from water.

Psalm 81:10-16
"I, the Lord, am your God,
Who brought you up from the land of Egypt;
Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.
11 “But My people did not listen to My voice,
And Israel did not obey Me.
12 “So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart,
To walk in their own devices.
13 “Oh that My people would listen to Me,
That Israel would walk in My ways!
14 “I would quickly subdue their enemies
And turn My hand against their adversaries.
15 “Those who hate the Lord would pretend obedience to Him,
And their time of punishment would be forever.
16 “But I would feed you with the finest of the wheat,
And with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”