Every bird is a marvel of God’s creation. It was on the fifth day of creation that God made “every winged fowl after his kind.” Ever since, they have reproduced their own kind and spread throughout the world.
Among the migrating sea birds are several species of shearwaters. Some are about the size of pigeons; others are as large as seagulls. These ocean birds have long, slender wings that enable them to fly and glide long distances, only flapping their wings occasionally. They skim above the waves, catching a fish or squid to eat without stopping. They come to shore only to reproduce, usually on an island. Each female lays one large, white egg in a hole dug in the ground or concealed under rocks.
The greater shearwater is an Atlantic Ocean bird, nesting and hatching its young from January to March in the Triston da Cunha Islands of the South Atlantic. As the North begins its spring warm-up, they fly to Newfoundland and then to Greenland, but they do not settle anywhere very long. In another three months, they move on to Iceland, Scotland and Ireland. Then in October or November, they migrate south along the coast of France. Soon great flocks are returning to their nesting spots in the South Atlantic, having traveled thousands of miles on the round-trip journey.
The short-tailed shearwater is just as busy in the Pacific area. From September through November, it nests along the coasts of South Australia and Tasmania. The female lays only one egg, but because millions are nesting in the same area, it is a busy community when the chicks hatch.
In April or May, both young and old travel north along the coast of Japan, taking a month to reach the Aleutians and other Arctic Islands. Well insulated against the cold, they thrive on the abundant seafood of these chilly waters. Like their cousins of the Atlantic, they become restless and start south in August. They return by a different route, traveling down the Pacific Coast to California and then southwest across to their breeding grounds in Australia.
What wonderful navigators these birds are! No one knows how they find their way over such long distances or how they all decide to leave together and fly on to their next spot. But we do know they are following God-given instincts which are passed on from generation to generation.
The Bible tells us “there is a path which no fowl knoweth” (Job 28:77There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen: (Job 28:7)). That is the path of salvation made possible by God’s love to every boy and girl. He invites each person to come to Him to be saved from their sins through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ the Lord. Is He your Saviour?
ML-06/30/2002