Humm-Bees
Posted on June 24, 2008
Filed Under Personal, Worldview |
Every few days I put a pan of water (4 cups) on the stove, bring it to a boil, and stir in 1 cup of sugar. After it dissolves well, I set it aside to cool. This concoction is not for human consumption, but for the humming birds outside our deck door (the door that chipmunks and squirrels and other forest creatures use to access our house).
While it is cooling, I dutifully clean the feeder, then pour in the new nectar trying unsuccessfully to keep the sugary liquid from getting all over myself and the sink and the floor and whatever else has a magnetic attraction for sticky stuff.
Well, the other day I discovered that what I thought was exclusively for humming birds was not. This first picture
shows that one of my humming birds invited a bumble bee over for dinner (the bee is on the left). I was sitting on the deck when the bee arrived and after he stuck his head into the hole and took his first sip, he popped up and did a little dance as if he had just discovered the “Mother Lode”. I think I heard him singing.
When he returned to what I’m sure he thought was nectar heaven, he continued to stick his head further and further down the hole. His rear end actually popped up in the air. I suspect he quickly recognized the danger associated with getting stuck inside the “cookie jar” and so he backed out a little. This second shot is my “humming bee” gorging himself on 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. 
Isn’t he amazing? His color, his “fur”, his precisely formed legs with their “barbs”?
It’s hard not to smile when I see these things.
…“but ask the animals and they will teach you…which of these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?” Job 12:7-9
Comments
11 Responses to “Humm-Bees”
Leave a Reply
Comments are moderated and will not appear on deltackett.com until they've been approved. While we are eager to facilitate conversation by publishing most comments, we may withhold one from time to time if we deem it offensive, vulgar, overly personal, cynical, disrespectful, irrelevant, redundant or unnecessarily contentious. While we encourage you not to make others' misspellings and grammatical mistakes an issue of debate, please do your best to double-check your spelling, use correct capitalization, and use proper grammar.
Dr. Del Tackett is president of the Focus on the Family Institute and Senior Vice President to Focus on the Family. He is also the architect and chief spokesperson for Focus on the Family's The Truth Project--a nationwide initiative designed to bring the Christian worldview to the body of Christ.
Subscribe in a reader
© 2008 Focus on the Family. All rights reserved.
I too am awed by the intricacies of design evident in nature. I recently had a conversation with a skeptic who proclaimed that he found increasing evidence for Darwinian evolutionary theory as he observed nature. I asked him why he thought that ID proponents see design while evolution proponents see support for their theory when viewing the same evidence. How can the same data evoke such opposite conclusions?
His response to me was offer a multitude of data, all of which merely pointed to adaptation within a species. I pointed out that most ID proponents don’t see this as problematic, and don’t find compelling evidence for concepts such as common descent when a bacterium adapts to a new environment. I again challenged him ponder why two people could come to such different conclusions from the same evidence.
Ultimately, he had to admit that his underlying philosophical belief in naturalism was informing his opinion of the evidence. Sadly, he declared that while science may not have the answers now, they will given enough time, better instruments, etc. That kind of faith certainly reveals something that is NOT scientific in nature.
Del,
What a beautiful sign of Spring/Summer!! Every detail of their body so beautifully crafted by our Lord!
Dr. Del…as with many parts of the TRUTH PROJECT, you have once again brought a smile to my face as I comtemplate our awesome God. Who but God could create such detailed, fascinating creatures? And what a joy to know Him personally!! It doesn’t get any better than that! Thank you for being such a blessing, Dr. Del. I can’t begin to tell you how much you have been used by God to stir my heart toward awe, wonder, and love toward our great God. God richly bless you as you exalt the King!
Those pictures are so amazing and I actually thought to myself, “That bee is so cute!” That’s very rare for me to say.
The last picture shows so much of the bee’s carefully God-designed details. What a testament to God’s ingenuity and intimacy with his creation!
What a unique bee — don’t think I’ve ever seen one with “red fur rings” versus all yellow. Must be a Colorado bee!! I have a hummingbird feeder up as well, but so far they have not found it and I am very disappointed. I know God does not need my help to feed the birds, but it sure is fascinating to watch His handiwork upclose. Thanks for sharing!
I was a commercial beekeeper for 17 years. I never tired of the beauty of these little creatures who work tirelessly to store up resources for the next generation yet unborn. (Bees have a lifespan of just a few weeks.) The honeybee colony is one of the most sterile places
in all of nature. Several lessons we Humans could learn from the bees. I used to just lay down on the ground in front of the hives and just watch them and listen to their buzz like music..
That passage in Job indeed has it right.
What a mighty and amazing God we serve….
I love God’s attention to detail, and I’m always amazed, and in awe of HIS handywork.
This picture that you have shared puts me in mind of The Church. “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good, and let us exalt HIS name together,” and we do, people from all walks and stations in life, gathering together, the most unlikely of companions, gather together as brothers and sisters in Christ, to taste of the sweetness of the Lord.
Nature shouts of the glory and majesty of the Lord, proclaiming HIS power and wonders, for all who will notice or hear.
In HIM,
audrey
Lovely.
It’s truly amazing how God uses His creation to declare His own splendor.
Working with fruits and vegetables in a produce department of the grocery store gives me opportunity after opportunity to see more of God’s handiwork in each creation. The lessons He teaches us when we just look at what His hands have made are wondrous.
No matter where we are, we can all stop and find God’s glory.
Dr. Del,
I see that you too admire the wonder in Gods attention to detail. I work at a aircraft hanger and the doors are open most of the night. The lights attract some of the greatest creatures to look at. I like to get out my magnifying glass, and flashlight; and if they let me I look at them for a while. It is neat to see a live grasshopper or moth or beetle really close up. I watch their eyes as they watch me. They are very sensitive to touch and will only allow a short time of being observed close up. If you ever get a chance to, get a magnifying glass and look real close, it is awe inspiring to see the Glory of God in such small wonders! Such intricate details! Wonderful!! God bless you and your ministry!!
Hi I thank you for a wonderful site. You have done very good job.
Have you ever noticed that your feeder seems to have emptied overnight? You can thank another type of critter for that - bats. Since southeastern Colorado has a lot of desert plants that attract bats, those who live near areas with such plants may have these furry visitors come to their feeders at night. These guys have huge appetites and can drain a feeder in one night so be prepared to make a lot of nectar if you want to see them.
Bats are, for me, an excellent example of God’s creation. No proto-bat fossil has yet been found, but Darwinists would say that we just have not found it yet. But, after 200 years of looking . . . shouldn’t they have found something?
My church recently completed the Truth Project series, and I want to thank you so much for creating it because it has helped me to have a more unified view of Christianity. This is especailly important for me since I work at a state university. God bless you!