Treading on Dangerous Mud!

  With the lack of a winter and the sudden onset of springlike weather, the critters of the Bayou stand in a state of confusion.  Birds are nesting, frogs and toads are beginning their nightly serenading and those snapping turtles are creepy-crawling about the mudflats.  It is those snapping turtles that gave me a cause to ponder this morning.  Knowing that the turtles can flat out disappear under the soft mud whenever they choose, it is a wonder that more of the docile critters are not injured.  

  Today, a lone Great Egret fished along the marsh edge.  It was wading in just a few inches of water and would occasionally step up onto the mudflats.  In the water, it would shuffle its feet hoping to stir up some tiny minnow or crab.  Then the bird would make a quick snatch and have a bit of breakfast.  Those long spindly legs gave me worry, though.  As the egret made its way up on the mudflat where one particularly large snapping turtle had been seen earlier, I fretted over those legs.  Let one misstep occur and that turtle might have broken a leg in two pieces. Thankfully, that did not happen...at least while I was watching.

  Pondering further, I had the realization that a tradedy of this sort may have been what befell our dear, old friend, Skipper Hopper.  Two years ago, we befriended and helped a Great Blue Heron that was severely injured. Its ankle had been broken and, now, I am about certain that a snapping turtle might have been the culprit that did the foul deed.  In all likelyhood, the bird probably tread a bit too close to a submerged snapping turtle and the turtle did not take too kindly to the intrusion. One quick clamp of those powerful jaws could surely have inflicted the injury that the poor bird suffered.  

  As I sat watching the egret, my mind wandered back to Skipper Hopper. The egret was so engrossed in its feeding that I am positive that it was not thinking about the dangers that could lurk beneath the very mud where it was walking.  Life is not easy for the critters of the Bayou.