Stealth Fishing!

   Earlier today, I gathered together a bunch of table scraps to put out for the critters.  With the cold, rainy weather we are having, the critters are extremely appreciative of the easy meal.  I only wish I had enough to set out a buffet for all of them.  While I was scattering the pecan hulls, fruit peels and other goodies, a flash of white caught my eye.  Down by the pier, a gorgeous Great White Egret was working the mudflats.  That bird was smart!  The tide had been pushed far out from the marsh leaving only tiny puddles on the flats.  Thousands of tiny bull minnows had become trapped in the inch deep puddles.   They would have been fine had they not come out to bask in the few moments of sunshine.   Normally, these tiny minnows can hide in the soupy mud and escape the certain death that awaits at the whim of the bird.  That sunshine and its warmth lured the minnows to clear water and that meant their demise. 

  The Great White Egret is a stealth hunter meaning that it can stand motionless until the minnows are within range.  Then with precise aim, the daggerlike beak is plunged down and the bird enjoys a fishy lunch.  This afternoon, the bird could be seen catching minnow after minnow.  Its belly will be full tonight and that will help ward off the cold.  After snapping a few photos, I scurried back to the warmth of the Little Bayou House and left my critter friends to enjoy their meals.