Just In Time To Say Goodbye

  The morning was met with a threatening rainstorm on the horizon so the pier visit was cut short.  Between the drizzly rain and the barrage of gnats, time spent on the water was short.  However, in the few minutes allowed, I found a few bayou friends had gathered nearby.  A dozen or so cormorants had settled in for the night and were just starting their morning feed fest.  Most of these were juveniles that still had their grayish-white breasts.  The birds were doing their usual "heavy swimming" with just their necks and very little of their backs above water. 

  Cormorants do not have feathers that repel water like ducks do.  Their feathers often become waterlogged causing them to seek refuge on pier posts.   There, they spread the wings and stand letting the wind and sun dry their bodies.  This heavy swimming does allow the birds to do well with catching their meals.  It has been said that having heavier bodies makes their diving easier.  It does not, however, make taking flight easier.  The birds have to do an awful lot of "water-walking" and wing-flapping to get airborne.  

  As I sat swatting gnats, I thought of how I am going to miss my friends. It is time for them leave the area. They visit here for the winter then head north to breed.  Once all of the migrating waterfowl leave, the Bayou seems a tad lonely.  At least, then, the gators and cottonmouths will be back to add a smidgen of entertainment.  There is never a boring day when you can find amusement in just about anything.  I do.