Photo and Commentary ©2023 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, May 23, 2023
Truth and beauty it seems should always be close companions. And in a perfect world they would be. But in a world marred by sin we recognize this isn’t always the case. Let me offer three examples of this from the files on the Prothonotary Warbler, a species that occupies the eastern part of the United States.
The first of these is based upon a lack of information or knowledge, something that can lead to a lack of understanding. This species is one of only two of our warblers to nest in tree cavities. It has been observed to be particularly aggressive towards bluebirds, woodpeckers, wrens, and robins. The inference is that this occurs since the first three groups of birds are also cavity nesters, there is competition for nests sites. This seems reasonable but leaves us wondering why robins are included. Perhaps our observations are what cause our conclusions to be skewed.
The second example is also based upon partial information, only this time the data is supplied by the foremost(of his time) authority on the subject of birds, none other than John James Audubon himself. In writing about this cavity nester he writes: “The nest is fixed in the fork of a small twig bending over the water, and is constructed of slender grasses, soft mosses, and fine fibrous roots.” For many of us the idea of a nest being placed in the fork of a tree suggests it is a traditional cup nest such as is used by most perching birds. Audubon doesn’t state this categorically, but the inference is still there. He certainly has the other details correct but we are left to wonder if he made a mistake or the mistake is ours in the reading.
The last example we will offer comes only by association. In 1946 Alger Hiss, a government worker, was charged with being a spy for the Soviet government. During the Cold War such charges were inflammatory. These charges were based upon his supposed association with Whittaker Chambers, at one time a member of the U.S. Communist Party. Hiss denied this but Chambers testified about a conversation he had shared with him and related Hiss’s excitement over having seen a Prothonotary Warbler along the Potomac River. A freshman congressman at the time, Richard Nixon presented this information which in turn promoted his rise to power.
Let’s not blame the warbler for less than total truthfulness, but Psalm 85:10 points us to where we may find this perfect union: “God’s truth and faithful love join together. His peace and holiness kiss each other.” (NIRV)