When the Lord God created the world, He designed it with oceans, mountains, deserts, forests and everything else that made it a wonderful and beautiful globe. Then in each region He placed birds, animals and other creatures suitable for that area. His wisdom is so clear as we see how each creature fits into the area where He has placed it.
One example is the great blue heron — a bird that is part of a variety known as waders. It lives by marshes, lakes, streams and other watery places, including the ocean. The great blue is North America’s largest heron, standing four feet six inches tall and having up to a six-and-a-half-foot wingspread.
Its name comes from the generally bluish-gray feathers on its back and wings. Adults have a distinctive black “crown” surrounding a white central part to their heads. Their long, sharp beaks are dull yellow, but become orange briefly when breeding season starts. Their lower legs also change from gray to more orange at that time. Their upper legs are red-brown.
Their food is mainly fish, but they also eat many other creatures found near water, including fairly large water snakes. Rabbits, rats, moles and voles, muskrats and ground squirrels can also be part of their diet. They are accomplished fishers, sometimes standing still in the water, other times wading, other times hovering over the water and picking up prey, and sometimes flying and then diving headfirst into the water, among other fishing skills.
Although they don’t weigh more than eight pounds, adult herons have few natural predators because they are so large and use their large, strong beaks like weapons to protect themselves.
Herons breed in large colonies, with nests high in trees, if available, and usually within three miles of good feeding spots. The Creator has given them the wisdom to build their nests in places hard for predators to reach, if at all possible. They return to the same sites each year, the males returning first. A male adds more sticks to whatever nest he chooses to use for that year. Males usually choose new mates each year, but the pair stays together to incubate the eggs and raise the chicks.
As we see the wisdom and the tools the Creator has given to animals to help them live their lives, it’s encouraging to know that He promises to give us the wisdom we need as we go through life, too. James 1:55If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. (James 1:5) says, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that [gives] to all men liberally, and [upbraids] not [or, does not scold], and it shall be given to him.” Do you ask Him for wisdom for your life?
Did You Know?
Great blue herons mainly eat fish and other creatures including water snakes.
Messages of God’s Love 1/28/2024