'Tis the season?

  It is the season alright just not of the holiday sort.  Here on the Bayou, it is the season of low tides and happy shorebirds.  The shorebirds, along with many other critters, can often find easy meals when the north wind shoves the tide far away from the shoreline.  Small tide pools form and hold many minnows, tiny crabs and other crustaceans captive.  These are scooped up by all the birds.  The low tide also brings a myriad of insects out to play.  Drawn by the pungent odor of the mud, the insects are out in the open and they, too, are easy prey.  

  One of the cutest shorebirds to scoot about on the mudflats is the killdeer.  These are a type of plover and get their name from their high-pitched call.  Some folks say that it sounds as if the bird is saying "Kill deer!"  Personally, I have never thought such but they do indeed have quite the screeching call....one they often do in the middle of the night. If you sit quietly in the late evening, it is not uncommon to hear them adding their voices to the symphony of other nightly Bayou sounds. Summertime finds us listening to the serenades of the assorted frogs and toads while the wintertime symphony is taken over by the killdeer, loons and coyotes.  Never a dull moment!

  The killdeer are active now on the mudflats but can be found far inland in fields, yards, golf courses or even parking lots.  They are not particularly picky about their location and seem to adapt well to any circumstances.  Their populations are declining, though, which is truly a sad thing for any species.  Living in close proximity to humans creates a whole slew of problems for the birds with the main ones being pesticides and vehicles.  These birds nest right on the ground and are subject to any sprays that are applied to lawns.  Vehicles (even lawnmowers) present terrible problems for the nesting birds.  If you suspect that you have killdeer taking up residence in your yard, it would be prudent to walk the area before setting out to cut grass.  Many a nest could be saved with a five minute scan of the yard!

  Just so you will know, a group of killdeer is called a "season" hence the title of this post.  'Tis the season....for killdeer to be running the mudflats!