Hidden Treasures!

Sometimes if you are not careful, treasure can go unnoticed.  I try to be most observant when I am out wandering about hillside and down near the Bayou as you just never know what you might see.  Once in a while a find might not prove to pleasant..a Cottonmouth moccasin or a Snapping Turtle might be a nasty find if you are not careful. Though these are not pleasant to find, they are treasures in their own right as they do help the balance of nature in the Bayou.  I usually have no problem with them and just tend to steer clear.  Both of these can be quite easy to notice if you are familiar with their habits and also their odors.  Both emit a strong pungent smell not unlike low tide or mud! So it pays to not only watch and listen to your surroundings but also smell what is around you!  This has come in handy a number of times for me.

Today, however, the find was a pleasant one!  While heading off the pier toward the Little Bayou House, I noticed a slight movement in the marsh.  I froze, not in fear but because I wanted to see what was stirring around in the grass.  After a moment of stillness, my friend came out in the open.  An immature Clapper Rail wandered out to catch its supper from the marsh edge.  I watched for a bit.  It amazed me just how well this bird could blend in with the surrounding marsh.  The feet and beak could have easily been mistaken for the grass itself while the coloring of its feathers was a nigh perfect match.  Had I not caught a glimpse of the movement, I might not have even realized the bird was there.

This is one of the hatchlings from this year's brood.  It is still quite small but is entirely able to be on its own.  The young Clapper Rail did well catching the bull-minnows that were trapped in the tidepools and it snatched up a few grasshoppers from the marsh.  I was surprised that once it got used to my presence, it was not at all skittish. I suppose most of the shorebirds are accustomed to my wanderings. After a good half hour of watching the bird, I stood to continue my trek.  The little bird looked at me once and continued its search for food.  Goodnight, Little Bird....hide among the reeds and be safe during the night!