Birds and Insects - Creation Management

Robins feed earthworms and insects to their young;
earthworms are cows that feast on bacteria.

I was uploading Norma Boeckler's beautiful bird paintings when I saw a Facebook post about birds and insects. Chairman Mao had his mind-slaves drive all sparrows from the fields, because the birds were eating some of the newly planted seed.

The campaign worked, and the sparrows departed. Subsequently, plagues of insects ate up the crops.

People despise starlings for being so greedy and aggressive at bird feeders. However, they are smart, attractive birds with enormous appetites for weed seeds and insects. When I mulched the garden in Midland, I observed starlings marching through the rows of vegetables, suddenly snatching up some leaves or grass, and pouncing on an insect.

Gardeners do not need to figure out the balance in a garden, because the relationship between insects and their predators is determined by the Creating Word. Cottonly maple scale is an insect that harms maple trees. I had a maple covered with the pests, who look like tiny patches of cotton, but one day it was covered with thousands of lady bugs, who feast on scale.

When man tries to kill flying insect pests with Malathion insecticide, he also kills off ladybugs and butterflies, plus any other beneficial creatures vulnerable to the spray.

People freak out over spiders, in spite of their known fondness for trapping insects. Forty years of gardening have not yielded a single bite from a spider or one solitary sting from a bee. In fact, I have often brushed bees aside when they get in my way.

Bluebird fans raise or buy mealyworms to attract them.
They love suet.
QED - they are insect predators.

Gardeners increases the bird population in the yard, because  bugs, worms, and watering will increase with deliberate growing efforts in the yard.

Here are some obvious ways -

• Plants harbor insects.
• Mulch multiplies insects.
• Compost increases everything, including the protein-packed earthworm.
• Watering attracts birds, not only for drinking, but also for preening their feathers.
• Gardens necessarily increase organic fallout (seeds, pods, leaves), food for all creatures.
• Turning over the soil makes birds twitter with delight - it exposes their food.
• Insect winter over as larvae in the bark of trees and in bushes.
• Dead trees and old logs are condos and feeding stations for birds. Roll over a log - McDonalds!

Cardinals are a special treat to watch in winter.

I have many places where sunflowers are growing because  their seed is favored by 42 species of birds - not to mention squirrels. Sunflowers are insect havens while they are growing, so a strong plant serves as a handy landing platform and food source. Birds love to perch above the food on the grass, so they can safely search for insects. 

Squirrels do not always wait to eat the sunflower seeds. They also enjoy the flower.

The sunflower is a convenient perch, a feeding station for birds and bees,
a temptation too great for squirrels to overcome.

The Creator's management is always on display when we see the intricate relationships between all the organisms, from the bacteria to the moles and birds.

If God manages the material world so well, why would He not manage our spiritual blessing even better, given His wisdom and compassion?