The Congregation is Growing!

  Yesterday, two cattle egrets and one great egret sat on the pier in the warm sunshine.  They did the all too familiar "one-legged" stance and made quite the impressive sight.  I was happy to see them there even though they do..umm..mess up the place somewhat.  That does not bother me as a good rainstorm cleans the old pier boards rather well.  

  Today, the egrets returned but a few new members had joined the congregation!  (For those curious, yes, a group of egrets is often referred to as a "congregation".)  This time, the original trio were there but three snowy egrets had come to share the space.  While my brother's pier has been the common roost for pelicans, it seems that ours is the choice of egrets.  Nice!

  It is not uncommon for a variety of herons and egrets to share a common resting spot but they are not gathering for any particular reason.  The convenience of the place in accordance to a food supply is more likely the reason for this congregating.  The birds will share a nesting ground simply due to the fact that there is safety in numbers.  Egrets are vulnerable to disruptions by humans during their breeding/nesting period, however.  The birds have been known to abandon nests purely due to human presence under their nest sites.  The back of the Bayou used to be home to a heronry of quite some size but the building of new homes on the opposite shore disrupted the birds.  Most left the area.  A few have moved to a more secluded area near where the creek feeds into the Bayou far behind the Little Bayou House.  This area is completely shut off from "progress" as it is surrounded by the woods of our property.  It is my hope that the birds will feel safe enough there to continue their nesting.  Perhaps my congregation can return to its full glory of several hundred of these elegant birds!