Competing for Breakfast!

Sometimes things occur on the Bayou that just leave you in awe of nature.  The other morning, I was out bright and early.  This was one of the few times that I had left the dogs inside as I wandered down to the pier.  I knew there were two baby rabbits in a nest under a log near the marsh and had hoped to avoid any confrontations between dogs and bunnies.  It bothers me a good bit to see Ezzy or Sunny take out after the little ones.  As I neared the edge of the pier, the bunnies were nowhere to be seen...hmmmm..strange..they are usually out before sunup.  I eased onto the pier and then noticed the little Clapper Rail.  She is always a bit skittish but that morning, she seemed downright edgy.  I was just getting an ominous feeling when I spied the trouble.

Within just a few feet of the Rail, a snake slithered onto the mudflat.  At first, the snake startled me!  Then after getting a better look, I realized that it was my little friendly Garter Snake.  The Rail, nor I, had any worries about this snake!  Although she remained wary, the Clapper Rail soon started feeding on the bull minnows that were trapped in the tide pool.  She even got brave enough to be within a few feet of the snake.  The Garter Snake, however, was fearless!  It caught several minnows and then fed upon some of the Fiddler Crabs that were scuttling along the mudflats. The bird probably could have eaten this snake for breakfast had it taken a notion to do so but instead just kept a wary eye on it.  Perhaps, the Rail had a run-in with a larger snake or perhaps this one even had gulped down some of the bird's hatchlings.

I watched the pair as they shared the territory.  Each hunting its breakfast..each very aware of the other's presence but each also respectful enough to keep its distance from the other.  The Clapper Rail eats mostly aquatic animals such as minnows, small fish, shrimp and crabs.  It occasionally will dine upon insects that it finds in the marsh but, more oft than not, will douse those insects in the water before eating them.  The Garter Snake, on the other hand, will eat anything that it can catch!  Worms, insects, smaller snakes, minnows, baby birds, small rodents, frogs, leeches and anything else it can overpower make up its diet!  The bird's and snake's dining habits lapped over into one another's territory that early morning.  It was quite the experience to watch two distinct "could be" nemeses vie for life-giving nourishment.  That morning, life was good for both. They ate well and did not have to compete for breakfast.  Life was good for me, too, as I had the opportunity to be enthralled once again by my Bayou friends.