What is Miss Elsie thinking?
"Here I am....having lunch with my new friend, Carly, the Cattle Egret, and along comes the paparazzi.
When will they give us some privacy? We have to catch up on the latest gossip!"
Photography by Norma Beaird
Copyright 2016, Curtis and Norma Beaird. All rights reserved.
The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker has become a regular winter visitor at Le Avian Cafe.
Photography by Curtis and Norma Beaird
Article by Norma Beaird
As we continue our "Finding Wonder" series, I want to talk about finding wonder in the midst of chaos. In the world we live in today, a world of confusion, chaos and calamity, we sometimes find ourselves waking up each morning with what seems to be a dark cloud over our head. Instead of waking up to hope, faith and a new outlook on life, we find that the messages of hope and faith are replaced with messages of doom and gloom. This is especially true if you get a steady diet of television news and online newspapers. And, it's even more true if you are constantly watching the election coverage.
Wisdom has been replaced with foolishness.
Politicians, scandals, tragedies, shootings, drug trafficking and all manner of crimes cover the airwaves like green pollen covers the front porch. Everywhere you turn is bad news. Consequently, it is not inaccurate to say that there is a spiritual dark cloud over this country and over our towns and communities. Somewhere along the way, something happened, and it wasn't good.
Morality was replaced with hedonism.
One thing lead to another, and here we are....
Neighbors aren't neighbors anymore. Generosity of spirit has been replaced with selfish motives. Crime is running rampant, even in the quiet rural communities. The workplace has become a place of fear and dread. A classroom has become a place where people are forced to defend themselves. Drug trafficking has become the new income stream. Churches have become more concerned with money and power than they are with souls. A country that once took its identity in the comfort and peace of freedom is turning into an overbearing police state.
Moderation was replaced with indulgence; and now,
optimism has been replaced with anger.
.....but thankfully, we have the birds.....
Rocky, the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, is looking for Chef Curtis' famous Peanut Butter Tree Spread.
Thank God for the birds. When it seems that chaos and pandemonium is breaking loose around you and that dream of peace and quiet is relegated to days gone by, we can look outside of our circumstances and listen to the melodious sounds of bird song. We can see the woodpeckers pecking away on the old pecan tree and drumming on the barn to attract their mate. Even though chaos reigns supreme, the birds continue to behave as birds - singing, pecking, mating, nesting and feeding their young. If the environment becomes hostile and threatens their sanctuary, they move on to greener pastures and continue doing what God created them to do. Even though conditions change around them, they take cover and continue to behave as birds.
Sometimes, we need to take a lesson from our feathered friends. After all, God's beautiful winged creatures can teach us a lot about life. No matter what, birds continue to build their nest, feed their family; and, most importantly, they continue to spread their wings and fly. If they detect danger or a predator, they instantly respond to the threat and move to a place of safety. They are always singing or chirping or calling, but they are always aware. They don't give up who they are as God's winged wonders, but they live life with both efficiency and awareness. They keep on.....keeping on. In other words, they don't give up.
We can find wonder in the beauty of birds, a wonder that replaces the anxiety of a world in chaos.
No one will ever accuse the mainstream media of providing us with a feeling of peace and safety. However, God has provided us with a way to calm our fears and ease our pain. Life is not easy. Sometimes, it's just overwhelmingly difficult. Still, we can find solace in the words of the Bible and in the fact that no matter what happens, God is still in control. When we walk outside and see the birds in flight and hear the calls of the wild, we are reminded that the Creator of all things bright and beautiful will protect us and give us peace, if we will slow down and allow Him to bring tranquility into a world of chaos.
John 16:33
These things I have spoken unto you,
that in Me ye might have peace.
In the world ye shall have tribulation:
but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
I Peter 3:11
Let him eschew evil, and do good;
let him seek peace, and ensue it.
Copyright 2016, Curtis and Norma Beaird. All rights reserved.
Peanotta, the Red-bellied Woodpecker
God's Blessings Have Feathers
Photography by Curtis and Norma Beaird
Poem by Norma Beaird
Woodpeckers and mallards,
the cardinal and crow,
the warbler and Blue Jay,
a colorful show.
Catalina, the Carolina Wren and the Duke of Soperton, the Northern Cardinal
The nuthatch and titmouse,
the sparrow and wren,
the grosbeak and House Finch,
our sweet feathered friends.
Bentley, the Tufted Titmouse, is working on the Black Oil Sunflower
The bluebird and kinglet
the bunting and dove,
the towhee and Barred Owl,
are birds that spell love.
Leonardo, the Eastern Bluebird, poses for a portrait.
The falcon and eagle,
the osprey and stork,
the hawk and Great Egret,
God's wonders galore.
The Great Egret in flight, with a Hooded Merganser in the background.
No matter the species,
the song or the call,
God's blessings have feathers,
and He made them all.
Copyright 2015, Curtis and Norma Beaird. All rights reserved.
Leona, the Northern Mockingbird, looks so peaceful sitting in the pool at Le Avian Rural Day Spa. She's in deep thought, probably thinking about the next feathered friend that she will chase around the resort.
For right now, she's calm.....
Photography by Norma Beaird
But then she decides that it's time for a bath. Talk about a serious bath. It looks as though the employees of Le Rural Day Spa will be refilling the pool because someone is going to splash out all of the water and the other avian guests will have to wait!
Copyright 2015, Curtis and Norma Beaird. All rights reserved.
The Great Egret catching fish on the Altamaha River
Bullard Creek Wildlife Management Area, Jeff Davis County, Georgia
Photography and Article by Norma Beaird
Every once in a while, we write an article about this...
A little over a week ago and on Sunday after church, we decided to ride down to the Altamaha River and the Bullard Creek Wildlife Management Area located in Jeff Davis County, Georgia. We wanted to see if migration had brought us a few more birds to the river.
As we were driving by the river, we saw a Great Egret doing some fishing. In the picture above, the egret had caught three small fish in his bill. He was fishing on the island in the middle of the river. It was a blessing to see this magnificent creation of God and escape from this daily grind called life. No matter how stressed we are about life's daily struggles, the birds keep on....keeping on.
We can learn lessons from nature.
We can find peace in natural surroundings. So many times, we become entangled with the cares of this world, the frustrations, the disappointments, the waiting, the frightening decisions and uncertainty of the future. We become entangled in this thing called life; however, it shouldn't be an entanglement, it should be a journey that we live with excitement and hope.
Many times, people are caught in the daily "brass and glass" culture where the only thing we see are the insides of buildings, offices or cubicles. We rush to work, rush to get home, and dread the cycle all over again. No matter if we're going to work, the doctor's office or the mall, we're in a hurry to get things done (that reminds me of that famous song by the group Alabama).
In the midst of this mad rush, we go to the grocery store, pay the bills, cook the dinner and check the mail. At some point, we collapse on the bed or the couch and attempt to free our mind by watching "Dancing With the Stars" or a college football game. We may check out the latest news or selfies on Facebook.
...and then we miss the Canada Geese leaving for their evening roosting location.
A silhouette of Canada Geese
We spend our lives attempting to live the "American Dream", burning the candle at both ends, and then we wonder why we're exhausted and frustrated all of the time. The "American Dream" is exhausting because it requires you to be successful, have a fancy education, make lots of money, buy an expensive home and stay current on all of the latest gadgets. It's exhausting and costly. It's costly because many times we neglect the most important things in life that God has freely given to us.
Even though work and our daily activities are very important, we need to spend time recharging our emotional and spiritual batteries. It's important to walk outside and breathe in the cool morning air. It's important to identify bird song. It's important to look at something besides a contract, a calendar, a computer or a parking lot. We overwhelm ourselves with full schedules,
...and we miss breathing fresh air and spending time among the tall pines trees.
The boardwalk at the Towns Bluff Park & Heritage Center in Bullard Creek WMA
Jeff Davis County, Georgia
Many parents spend unbelievable amounts of money to take their children to Disney World; and yet, they never teach them about a Northern Cardinal or introduce them to the beauty of a state park. The child knows Mickey Mouse, but couldn't recognize a Blue Jay if it landed on the front porch. Sad.
Birdwatching is a science and a spiritual experience. We learn about the taxonomy, behavior and habitat of a bird, but we also learn spiritual lessons of faith and provision. In watching birds, we learn about migration and the times of year that birds travel north to south and vice versa. In watching birds, we also learn about the weather and how the weather controls bird movement in an area.
Birdwatching is free, natural, educational and spiritually uplifting. Disney World is expensive, artificial, culturally insignificant in the greater scope of things and physically exhausting. Nature represents reality while Disney represents a fantasy.
The American culture is teaching our children to work--work--work-- spend--spend--spend, work some more, and spend even more. It becomes second nature to take hard-earned money and go stare at an underpaid employee in a mouse costume. And yes, our family made the pilgrimage to Disney World and waved at Mickey. However, we also drove through the Central Florida orange groves and breathed in that heavenly citrus scent.
It's not a sin to go to Disney World, but it's destructive to the spirit to be unbalanced in our daily life. We need time to rest, reflect, pray and free our minds from the chains of cultural demands. It's a lovely testimony of the blessings of God to be able to work hard and be prosperous, but money becomes an idol when it's not balanced with the most important blessings from Heaven:
God, family, love, faith and an appreciation and respect for God's creation.
We can sum this up by saying this....Life is beautiful.
God Loves You.
Faith is Real.
Family is Important.
Nature is Invigorating.
Don't miss the joy.
Don't become so busy that you miss the Waxing Gibbous Moon.
Our prayer for today:
God, we thank you for your many blessings that you have bestowed upon us. Even when things are not perfect and we must deal with trials and tribulations, we praise you because you're always near. Increase our faith and give us a positive outlook on life so that we may be a Godly example to others.
Help us to be ever mindful of Your many blessings and give us the wisdom to slow down and rest, and develop a deep appreciation for the lovely natural surroundings that you have given to us for free.
Thank you for your love and thank you for your son Jesus Christ, who gave His all so that we might be spiritually free. Help us to implement balance in our lives so that we may lead a more productive life.
Please strengthen with relationship to You so that we may be reminded daily that our spiritual condition is more important than the acquisition of money and a lifestyle of materialism. Guide us and lead us into a path of righteousness so that we may be a light in a world of darkness.
In Jesus' name we pray.....Amen!
Psalm 96
O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing unto the Lord, bless His name; shew forth His salvation from day to day.
3 Declare His glory among the heathen, His wonders among all people.
4 For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: He is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens.
6 Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
7 Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength.
8 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name: bring an offering, and come into His courts.
9 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: He shall judge the people righteously.
11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.
12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice
13 Before the Lord: for He cometh, for He cometh to judge the earth: He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with His truth.
Copyright 2015, Curtis and Norma Beaird. All rights reserved.
If I were a member of the avian world, I would probably be a Northern Flicker, just because the look of leopard print is so exotic and beautiful. This is a female and she was one of the most fashionable guests who flew into town to visit Le Avian Rural Day Spa.
Photography by Norma Beaird
The Northern Flicker will keep you on your toes. When I pushed the button on the camera, she was still sitting on the birdbath. When I looked at the picture, I had caught her in flight. Now that's fast!
Copyright 2015, Curtis and Norma Beaird. All rights reserved.
The light and medium blue on the map are migrating birds.
The yellow and green is precipitation.
Photography by Curtis and Norma Beaird
Article by Norma Beaird
For the past few days, and especially since Hurricane Joaquin moved north in the Atlantic Ocean, bird migration has picked up again. We've had new visitors to the backyard, which is actually Le Avian Cafe & Rural Day Spa.
We've seen at least 60 Red-winged Blackbirds, an Eastern Phoebe (Flycatcher), Eastern Wood-Pewee (Flycatcher) and a Palm Warbler (Wood Warblers). Birds are moving South and quite a few have flown down to rural Georgia. There are some birds who are noted to live in Georgia full-time; however, we may only see them during migration or during weather changes. Even though the Eastern Wood-Pewee is a common breeding resident statewide from March to November, we usually see him sporadically in this area of Georgia.
The Eastern Phoebe is a common migrant and winter resident in the Georgia Coastal Plain from August to April, with the highest numbers from October to March. They are a member of the Flycatcher family.
(Source: Birds of Georgia)
NEXRAD Map by Dr. Paul Hurtado, University of Nevada - Reno.
The bird migration is indicated by the blue bursts.
A cold front was coming; and, on October 9th, migrating birds covered the right half of the United States.
The Eastern Wood-Pewee loops out from exposed perches to snatch flying insects in midair.
This technique is often referred to as "flycatching" or "hawking".
(Source: Birds of Georgia)
Copyright 2015, Curtis and Norma Beaird. All rights reserved.
Photography by Norma Beaird
We are happy to announce that our most royal Northern Cardinal, the Duke of Soperton, returned to Montgomery County to dine on the veranda at Le Avian Cafe. He heard about our most popular lunch special served by Avian Chefs Curtis and Norma Beaird (that would be us).
On today's menu:
Le Black Oil de la Sunflower
served with a side of fresh Safflower & finely chopped Unsalted Peanuts
This is topped off with fresh sparkling water
from the Le Hosepipe Springs of rural Georgia
Copyright 2015, Curtis and Norma Beaird. All rights reserved.
The Red-winged Blackbirds have arrived, thanks to migration and cooler weather.
In this picture, there are approximately 42 (mostly male) birds.
Photography by Curtis and Norma Beaird
Recipe by Curtis Beaird
Since migration is in full swing and birdwatching is even more exciting right now, we need to keep our energy up with some great recipes. One really tasty recipe is Bird Watcher's Zucchini. Now....why the name Bird Watcher's Zucchini? Because, just like Bird Watcher's Guacamole and the Bird Watcher's Power Breakfast, it is bird watchers who are cooking the dish!
Curtis has come up with a fabulous way to cook zucchini in a cast iron skillet and we want to share the recipe with you, our fellow bird watchers! It's healthy, but best of all, it tastes great!
Bird Watcher’s Zucchini in a Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients:
---Smaller Zucchini cut up in about 1/4 inch rounds or a little thicker
---The smaller Zucchini, the more they can stand the intense heat without breaking down & becoming too soft
---Extra Virgin Olive Oil
---Organic Naturally Refined Coconut Oil (for Medium to High Heat)
---Half a tablespoon of Sesame Seed Oil
---Sea Salt
---Freshly Ground Malabar Pepper
---Old Thompson's Orange & Lemon Pepper
And now.....for the fun part!
Before the zucchini are placed in the cast iron skillet, add the Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Coconut Oil and Sesame Seed Oil to cover the bottom of the skillet.
While the skillet is warming up to medium—medium high, add about three twists of the Sea Salt. Carefully place the zucchini in the oil.
Add Old Thompson’s Orange & Lemon Pepper, plus more Sea Salt and freshly ground Malabar Pepper (to your liking).
The zucchini are cooked only on one side. They’ll cook in less than five minutes. The goal is to leave some crunch in the zucchini and not turn it to mush. Check a few of the zucchini to see which ones have turned brown. Once they’re turning brown, they are done.
Then, flip the zucchini and heat and steam the other side. Don’t brown both sides so that you won’t have mushy zucchini.
Here it is....some of the best Bird Watcher's Zucchini in the world!
Now this is some good eatin’!!
Copyright 2015, Curtis and Norma Beaird. All rights reserved.
The amazing Cardinal Climber vine will attract hummingbirds and butterflies to your yard. In this picture, you can see the pollen on the lovely bright red flower.
Photography by Curtis Beaird
Story and Poem by Norma Beaird
We planted the Cardinal Climber seeds in mid May. It takes approximately 90+ days for the flower to bloom. It does take a while, but it's well worth it. We actually over-planted the seeds so that we would have an explosion of red blooms. We also planted late because we were attempting to time it just right for Ruby-throated Hummingbird migration. During this time of year, birds are flying south to their winter location.
A Cloudless Sulphur butterflylands on the Cardinal Climber.
Butterflies love the Cardinal Climber!
We see these little yellow treasures flying all over the yard and all over the Cardinal Climber.
Every day, we walk outside to see more blooms!
Cardinal Climbers are native to North America, Asia, South Africa and the West Indies. They are members of the Morning Glory family. The South is the perfect place for planting Cardinal Climbers. Cardinal Climber plants need full sun to reach their full potential. They prefer rich, well drained soils, and they need to be watered frequently during dry periods.
And, the moment finally arrived.
There she was....
a beautiful and young Ruby-throated Hummingbird female. She is friendly and excited to see the abundance of Cardinal Climber blooms. She has been a regular visitor for several days!
We love to have fun and experiment with our photography. In this picture, we had sprayed the Cardinal Climbers with a fine mist of water. We were very careful to use a fine mist. This created little water droplets that add a unique dimension to the picture.
The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds,
migration fills the skies,
with yellow Cloudless Sulphurs,
and the many butterflies.
They fly south for the winter,
'cause the chill is coming soon,
We hope they stop and visit us,
They know that we have room.
For in the yard, we're ready,
with the Cardinal Climber vine,
our flying friends are welcome,
to come visit us sometime.
Copyright 2015, Curtis and Norma Beaird. All rights reserved.
© 2006 - 2023 Curtis and Norma Beaird. All rights reserved.
