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The following contains information from a recent Creation Magazine:

The Pacific golden plover (Pluvialis fulva) is a small shorebird, about the size of a dove. Every year, these birds leave their young in Alaska and fly south to spend the winter in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australasia, or on various Pacific islands. This is amazing. Imagine a 60 kg human losing 30 kg (65 lb) while running non-stop for this entire period, neither eating nor drinking—without any ill effects.

Of the Alaska-dwelling members of this species, almost all (including those stopping en route to more distant destinations) make a migratory flight to Hawaii, where the bird is known as the kolea. Alaska to Hawaii means an 88-hour, non-stop flight across more than 4,500 km (2,800 miles) of open ocean. The birds are unable to swim, and there is no land between these locations for them to stop and rest. Before departure, they put on additional weight, mostly in the form of fat reserves to sustain their long flight. On average, they gain enough to give each bird about 70 grams (2.4 oz) of consumable energy. Here is the dilemma, though; these birds in flight burn approximately 1 gram of energy per hour, so they should consume all their stored energy in about 70 hours, which is 18 hours short of Hawaii. However, each year the golden plovers make it to Hawaii. How is this possible? As do some other kinds of birds, the plovers fly in a V-formation. This is so they can ‘draft’ off each other, which reduces the energy required to fly. This saves each bird, on average, 23% of the energy that would be used if flying unaccompanied. This is, however, not the case for the bird at the lead position, but the plovers take turns in that position and thus ‘share the load’. These golden plovers arrive in Hawaii every year with 6.8 g (0.24 oz), on average, left over from what they had ready for the flight. This provides insurance in case of non-advantageous winds encountered on the flight route.

============================================================================    There are some challenging questions for those not believing in a creator God.  How do these birds manage year after year to find their way to Hawaii? If their flight path leaving Alaska were only off a few degrees, they would miss the islands completely. The parents leave and begin their migration before the young are ready to make their first flight. How do they know the way?  What inspires these birds to put on exactly the right amount of additional weight so they can make the trip?

            Only the God of creation knows the answers to these questions.

                                                                                    Pastor Dave