Eyes bigger than the stomach!

I had gone down to the pier right at daybreak and as usual, the Green Heron came in to beg for breakfast.  I scanned the water's surface looking for any sign that minnows were in the area.  Nothing was breaking on the slick calm surface.  There was no use in me throwing the net if nothing was there so I sat down on the planks of the pier.  Our benches had disappeared with the flood waters of Hurricane Isaac so the pier planking would have to suffice.  I kept watch on the water hoping that I would see the familiar "pip" of a menhaden.  The Green Heron kept watch on me.  It edged closer and closer to me.  Soon it was just a couple of feet to my left and had the most perplexed look on its face.  "Where is my breakfast...and why are you sitting down on the job?" it seemed to say.

Mark soon came ambling down the hillside with two mugs of coffee!  Ahhh, the man knows the way to my heart!  As he neared us, the bird never moved.  He would just look from one of us to the other.  He was so confused as to why we were not fishing for his breakfast!  Finally, Mark picked up the net which caused sheer excitement with the bird!  FOOD!  The first several throws were futile efforts.  Then...a mullet!  A much too large mullet for this tiny bird but by now the heron was in a frenzy.  He ran toward the mullet with full intentions of grabbing it.  When the bird neared the fish, I do believe for a moment, it had second thoughts.  This fish was almost as big as the bird! I watched in amusement as the bird sized up the fish.  He went from side to side cocking his head as if to measure the fish.  Something was wrong with this...there was no way possible that large of a mullet was going down this bird's gullet!

Mark, in the meantime, had managed to catch an odd assortment of tiny fishes.  He had several little white trout, a couple of tiny croakers and a pinfish.  These were all suitable sized for the bird.  As soon as Mark would pull a fish from the net, the bird had it!  Gulp!  Down the hatch went the white trout and croakers!  The pinfish with its large spiky fins was tossed back into the water.  After finishing off all the small fish, the bird once again turned its attention to the mullet.  By this time the mullet was flip-flopping around the pier like crazy!  The Green Heron stared at the fish, darted at it once and then flew to the top of the post.  That fish was just too large!  I reached down and tossed the mullet back into the water.  All were happy.  The Green Heron had its belly full, the pinfish and mullet were free to swim in the water and the white trout and croakers....oops...well, ALMOST all were happy.