I am sitting here waiting for the big predicted blizzard to descend upon us. Already I have seen a few snowflakes and anticipate seeing many, many, more. Recently, people in other parts of the country have had to endure tornados and floods along with snowstorms and we have seen the aftermath of each while watching the evening news.

     Seeing nature unleash its fury caused me to wonder, “How do birds survive harsh storms like blizzards, hurricanes and tornados?” To find out the answers I went to “goggle”, of course, and learned some interesting things as to how God equipped the birds, that He created, to survive these storms.

     Due to their size many birds can seek shelter on the leeward side of trees or deep inside thick hedges protecting them from strong winds in addition to keeping them dry during rainstorms. Being a foot or two above the ground also helps them endure the harsh temperatures as there is a significant temperature difference when near the ground compared to being 6 feet above the ground.

     Birds are able to survive bad weather because of the way God engineered their feet. Spindly little legs found on our feathered friends have an adaptation the scientists refer to as “counter-current exchange”. When we are out in the cold we lose body heat from warm blood in the skin radiating heat to the cold air. The loss of heat brings cold blood back to our body’s core which chills us even more. In birds the blood vessels carrying warm blood to their feet pass right next to the cold blood running in the veins back to the body. This arrangement allows the warm blood in the arteries to pass heat to the cold blood in the veins before the blood reaches the feet. The heat is thus returned to the body and results in cold blood in the feet. Cold feet lose very little heat to the cold ground.

     The feathers that cover the body of the bird trap air, which prevents the cold air from reaching the skin, creating very effective insulation against the inclement temperatures.

     During a storm birds need to depend on their stored food – fat – for energy during the time that they are hunkered down waiting for the storm to subside. It is believed that some birds at least can sense an approaching storm by detecting a slight change in air pressure and triggering a desire to eat more creating a stored energy supply in their body.

     The phrase from the beloved hymn “His Eye Is on the Sparrow” comes to mind:

“For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.” (Public Domain)

Thank You, God!!!!!!!!!

Pastor Walt