A Popular Diner

  For the past few weeks, I have been feeding a friendly Great Blue Heron (also known as a Bayou Ostrich thanks to my little granddaughter, Mary Ruth.)!  The bird is becoming quite tame and comes running up the pier whenever it sees me pick up the net.  Once I have a good catch, the young heron eats to its heart's content.  With its belly full, the little fellow flies to a post to watch my every move.  Then, before I leave the pier, I have to feed it another meal.  This is fine as long as there are plenty of little mullet or menhaden in the Bay.  A couple of casts of the net and the meal is served.  But...things changed today.

  As usual when I went to the pier, the bird flew in behind me.  When I picked up the net, he came running and followed me as I cast.  The catch was dumped on the  pier boards so the bird could feast but before he could finish his meal, others came. That rascal had evidently told all of his buddies that a free meal could be had if they came to the diner on the pier!  A motley bunch of beggars came to lunch.  Besides the heron (ostrich?), a Snowy Egret, a Common Tern and a Laughing Gull enjoyed a fine meal of menhaden.  The heron was given some extra treats of little mullet since he has been coming the longest.

  With this crazy crew, I had to throw the net several more times to catch enough minnows.  At one point, the gull decided that he did not want to share the meal.   He flew to the mound of menhaden and gulped down about twenty of the little fish before the other three birds could reach the spot.  It did not take long before the Snowy took command and chased the greedy gull away!  The other three shared a peaceful meal while the gull glared from the pier post.  So....I wonder who will come to breakfast at the pier diner tomorrow??  If this group keeps growing, I may need a bigger net!