Not so patiently waiting!

Even though there was a slight rain misting down upon the Bayou, I needed to escape the confines of the Little Bayou House.   Mark and I headed to the pier with the idea of catching a few catfish to bait the crab traps.  Once there, he threw the net and caught plenty of menhaden plus a few mullet.  Those few were enough to fire the idea of him heading out in the boat for a fishing trip.  I stayed behind on the pier.  After fishing for a while and catching enough catfish and Ladyfish for the traps, I started tossing the menhaden to the young Herring Gull.  It was enjoyable just watching that bird dive down after the minnows!  It is a well known fact around here that the gulls would all have a lot more to eat if they did not start their raucous calling.  Once that squawking starts, every gull in the area converges around the pier.  Well, Mr. Gull, that is enough of that!  Once I quit tossing the dead menhaden, the majority of the gulls decided I was boring and left.  Only the young Herring Gull stayed on his perch atop the pier post.

After a bit, I noticed a slight movement behind me.  Aha!  My good friend, Little Green Heron, wanted supper as well! Knowing better than to toss any in the water, I slid the heron a handful across the planks of the pier.  The little squirt came running!  Just before the heron could snatch one of the menhaden, the gull made a dive for the minnow!  Oh, this is not good!  The two of them squabbled over the minnows.  The screeching and squawking drew the interest of a Snowy Egret!  Now I had three different birds attacking my handouts!

I reached in the bucket.  Another handful of minnows was tossed across the planking.  This startled the birds enough that they skittered back a bit.  Now, a bit uneasy, they paced.  Back and forth, each trying to stay just ahead of the others.  Finally, the Green Heron darted after one minnow that was flipping near the edge of the pier.   When that bird grabbed a minnow, the other two immediately started chasing after it.  This chase was sort of ridiculous since as they were pecking after the minnow in the heron's beak, all of the other minnows were being stomped upon and were being knocked back into the water!  Silly birds!

This fiasco kept on for about twenty minutes.  Always the same...the minnows were tossed, birds paced, one would snatch a mouthful, others chased.  I was amused by their antics!   Soon my supply of minnows ran out and the rains fell harder.  The crab traps were baited and I headed back up the hill. I am quite sure that my three friends will be back in the morning!  Their greediness will cause squabbles again but they will be fed simply because this brightens my day!