Beneath the waters...

With all of the crazy weather we have had here on the Bayou this past week, critters are starting to act a mite confused.  Rain and wind have pelted us for most of every day.  This wind has made the tides run a bit above normal so land critters that dwell in the marshes have retreated to higher ground.  Water critters have taken to exploring their new domain of marshes and beyond.  Minnows, fish and crabs all have wandered sometimes a bit too far into the marsh and then have struggled to return to the Bay.  We have to watch our footsteps as to not step on a Cottonmouth Moccasin as they too are seeking a bit of dry land.  Once this bit of tropical-like weather passes and things get back to normal, the critters, too, will do the same.

Near the shoreline, there has always been a stack of wide boards that were left by the crew that put in our pier posts.  They had a large pile-driver that was sitting on wooden "skidders".  The tractor unit slipped upside-down into the water leaving the boards to be shoved deep into the mud.  The workers left them right there!  I have news for you...I sure am not going to get down in the marsh to pull out these huge planks!  There are too many critters that might just take a liking to me and have me for supper!  Anyway, now the boards are becoming a sort of habitat in their own right.  Bull minnows, fiddler crabs, garter snakes and, yes, moccasins all love to hide among the cracks and crevasses of the wood pile.   With the unusually high tides, the pile was completely covered with water making the perfect hiding spot for even more critters.  Yesterday, I sat watching the minnow trap.  Mark wanted to go fishing between rainstorms and needed bait. Since a goodly amount of bull minnows were darting in and out of the planks, I figured that would be a handy-dandy place to put the trap.  Sure enough, within minutes, I had caught a trap full of the tiny fishes.  Mark set off on his fishing trip and I sat watching the wildlife beneath the pier.  It was fascinating!

Bull minnows darted in and out of dark corners of the wood pile while fiddler crabs climbed about on the few remaining tips that were not covered by water.  It appeared as if they were playing that old game "King of the Mountain" since they would try to push each other off into the clear water.  Then a flash of red caught my eye!  Ooooh!  What was that!  Camera in hand, I stared hard into the depths of the water.  It was only about two feet deep at best but under the dappled shade of several trees, it was difficult to see.  My vision of red was a crab! Its shell was about four inches in length and it had thick claws.  This struck me as odd since we have Blue Crabs in the Bay and this was definitely NOT a Blue Crab!  I sat still hoping the critter would venture further out into the clearer water. I did not have to wait long!  There was just enough time to snap on picture before the crab scooted back down beneath the lower boards.  At least I had a picture to help me identify the crustacean!  My son's friend (my fish and sea critter expert), Taylor, was called upon to put a name to this crab.  My suspicions were confirmed when he sent me word that the crab.."Looks like a small Stone Crab."  Just the coloring alone made me suspect this to be a Stone Crab but I figured that I needed to check with someone a bit more knowledgeable.  To be honest, I did not know that Stone Crabs made their way this far inland.  I had never seen one in the Bayou before!  I wonder if my poor little friend is lost!  Well, he always has a home here!  I welcome all critters to dwell in peace here on the Bayou.