Little Snowy!

When I am on the pier catching bait for fishing, I usually have several visitors drop by to grab a meal.  Three Little Green Herons and one Night Heron will make their appearance almost as soon as I  pick up the cast net.  Once the net is thrown into the water, these birds will come running up the pier with great expectations of a free meal.  If the net comes up empty (which does happen occasionally), the birds will either dart back about twenty feet from me and wait for the next cast or follow me around like some puppy dogs!  Most of the time if there is a full net, all four birds will happily scoop up fish after fish all the while ignoring Ms. Ez, the dog.  She will snatch her share of fish right along with the birds!  There has never been any squabbling amongst the birds and dog.

Lately, however, I have a new visitor coming by for a bite to eat!  A little Snowy Egret has taken to following the Night Heron and Green Herons in their quest for a free meal.  The Snowy is a bit leery of me yet and has not taken to Ms. Ez either.  It will keep its distance and only snatch up the minnows that I toss to it at a distance of a good twenty feet.  The herons will literally take the food from my hands!

Yesterday, progress was made with the Snowy.  Not a single heron showed up for breakfast and the dog stayed back at the house.  It was just me and Snowy!  I caught a mess of menhaden and waited.  Sure enough, the Snowy glided in and settled not far from me.  I sat..still..very still..just waiting.  After about five minutes, I think hunger got the best of the bird.  Looking at me warily, the bird edged in close enough to grab a fish.  Snatch!  The bird darted away to eat that one!  I sat..not moving..just waiting.  Snowy slowly slipped closer and closer...snatch!  It had another fish!  This kept up until the bird had eaten about a dozen small fish.  Finally, its tummy was filled and it flew off over the marsh.

This scene made me happy!  I missed the herons but was so glad to have a bit of special time with just the Snowy.  Perhaps after a few more visits like that of yesterday, the bird will feel comfortable enough to venture as close as the herons.  Hopefully, it will get used to Ms. Ez's presence as well. The other birds already sense that she will not hurt them and they will eat right along side of her.  They all share the fish which keeps me quite busy!