On the Wing!

It is nice to see the marsh so alive with critters!  This means that it is a healthy place and after the devastation brought on by hurricanes and oil spills this makes me happy!  While I was photographing Elvis, the Tri-colored Heron, Ms. Ez was focused on the marsh.  She could see something that I could not immediately see!  After getting my pictures, I turned to follow her gaze.

 Sure enough, in the marsh about thirty feet from us, there was a Great Blue Heron!  More likely than not, I find these wading in the shallows not hiding in the marsh!  Still, the bird seemed to be seeking a shield from the cold north wind that had picked up overnight.  When I finally spied him, he was hunched down with his feathers fluffed about him.  My first thought was that this bird was ill or injured but by the time we left the pier, he was out striding about the waters hunting breakfast.  Obviously, he had just wanted a bit of time in the warm sunshine before stepping into the cold water!

The Tri-colored and the Great Blue were not the only birds busy in the marshes this morning.  Coming back up the hill, I heard a loud ruckus up in the treetops.  Ahh...Redwinged Blackbirds!   It was not long before the marsh grass was dancing with their bustling and chirping!  These had come home to nest!  Spring must be here!  Hundreds of the birds were bobbing about on the reeds, looking for insects and nesting sites.  As aggravating as these birds can be when emptying the feeders, the group is always a welcome sight when they arrive back home.  The Blackbirds will not nest in a polluted marsh!  My Bayou has come a long way toward healing itself!

Yes, the birds are returning just as others are leaving.  It is a never-ending cycle of migratory birds!  Something always interesting pops in just as the seasons change.  No wonder Ms. Ez and I like our hikes!