May 14, 2020 (Thursday)
An interesting article by a Washington, D C. T.V. reporter tells us about wildlife in the District of Columbia. I feel sure he is describing a situation that exists in all our major cities: the return of wildlife during the quarantine. With people missing from the streets, highways and elsewhere, wildlife is venturing into the city and sightings of foxes, coyotes or wild turkeys in the front yard of a subdivision house are becoming more common. There are more otters in the river, more beavers at work, and hawks and eagles are feasting on rodents. The reporter commented on how nice it is for a raptor to take care of pest problems.
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We’ve seen that process in reverse here in Rockport and Aransas County, as wildlife is seen less often in the wake of development here. Wanda looked out the front door one day years ago and saw a mother quail walking in the street with a line of chicks walking behind her. We have not seen a quail in years. The fire ants have helped to consign them to the history books. We used to watch each morning as some deer made their way to the wooded lot across the street and they began nibbling at acorns in the Live Oak trees. A beautiful sight.
Of course, not everyone is happy to see the deer in our area. The Rockport Country Club subdivision and golf course have taken over the many acres that used to be populated by the deer, which are, nonetheless, still active there and can be seen in herds. The residents resent their presence because they eat the flowers around their homes. When I was interim pastor at the First Baptist Church in 2007, several deer made it into the green areas surrounding the buildings just about every day.
We used to see a Roadrunner make his run through the flower beds at our house quite often. He was hunting lizards and snakes, I think, and it was fun to watch him run. Dwight is outside as much as possible, even at night, and is privileged to see owls, foxes and many bird species. One day after a storm he found two baby owls in the front yard. They had fallen from a nest atop our chimney. Dwight repaired the nest and placed the little tykes there. One of them died. The other one did well, was fed by its parents in the dead of the night, and grew very fast. Soon he flew away. There is a flock of Sandpipers which feasts on insects in the grass after a lawn has been mowed. Sometimes it is a common sight to see 20 or 25 of them pecking away at the ground on somebody’s lawn.
We still have plenty of bats, rarely seen, which do a lot of good as they devour insects by the millions every night. There used to be an alligator in a pond between our house and the bypass, but somebody fed him and that made him dangerous, so he was moved to another location where he could live safely, apart from humans.
The presence of some species of wildlife, even when they do not appear in great numbers as in the past, is encouraging. Just give nature a chance and it will replenish itself. I remember a TV show which suggested with colorful illustrations what might happen if people suddenly disappeared from the earth. Without human presence, eventually vegetation, etc. took over, buildings were devoured by the elements, the earth turned green where it had been scarred by highways and buildings; and earth itself was rejuvenated and survived quite well without people. An interesting show — fantasy, of course, but based on scientific deduction.
The sightings of wildlife in our cities is not surprising for those “in the know” about such things. They realize that many wild animals are still around, but they hide from us, because we are a threat to their existence and they instinctively know that.
Praise to the Lord! the Almighty
Words: Joachim Neander (1680)
Translator: Catherine Winkworth (1863)
Music: LOBE DEN HERREN
1680, 1863
1 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is your health and salvation!
Come, all who hear; now to his temple draw near,
join me in glad adoration.
2 Praise to the Lord, above all things so wondrously reigning;
sheltering you under his wings, and so gently sustaining!
Have you not seen all that is needful has been
sent by his gracious ordaining?
3 Praise to the Lord, who will prosper your work and defend you;
surely his goodness and mercy shall daily attend you.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
if with his love he befriends you.
4 Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him!
All that has life and breath, come now with praises before him.
Let the Amen sound from his people again;
gladly forever adore him.