Give Me Critter Friends...

  It is not that I have anything against people as friends but I do find that I get along much better with animals.  Critters do not participate in unnecessary drama.  They are nonjudgmental and do not just pretend to be your friend.   Either they like you or they do not.  Critters do not care if you wear outlandish clothing, have blue hair or dance to the beat of a different drummer as long as you do not beat that drum too loudly.  It is plain and simple.   If you are nice to them, chances are, they will be nice to you...or let you know rather quickly and clearly that they have no desire to be chummy.  I like that.  I have learned a lot from my critter friends and try to treat my people friends in a likewise manner.  I only wish other folks did the same.  

  One of my favorite friends on the Bayou lives deep in the marsh.  A little mama Clapper Rail makes her home near the pier and nests there each summer just like her mama did before her.  I watched this little one grow up to be the beauty she is today.  Her mama brought the entire brood of five chicks out to meet me when they were about a week old.  Since the older female passed, this one has taken over the nesting area.  She is just as sweet as her mother and brings her chicks out at an early age.  Like her mother before her, she has no fear of me.  

  Clapper Rails are about the size of a small chicken which gives them their common names.  Sometimes called Marsh Chickens or Marsh Hens, they do, indeed, share a strong resemblance.  Clapper Rails have one of the most recognizable calls of all marsh birds.  Theirs is a series of very loud "keks" which start off loudly then taper.  A breeding pair will, at times, blend their calls in what is appropriately called a duet.  The duets are often heard in the evening just before dark as the birds communicate with each other.  Clapper Rails are territorial especially when it comes to their nesting site.  Both will defend their nest rather aggressively but, considering the nest is in the marsh, that is to be expected.  Any number of predators also lurk there.

  This morning, the rail came out to visit.  She busied herself catching breakfast just a few feet from where I sat.  She was fully aware of my presence but was not concerned.  She knew she was with a friend.  She was not there to judge, to belittle or gather gossip.  She was there to have breakfast and enjoy a bit of company.  I loved every minute of our time together.