You stay here!

"You stay here!"  I could just imagine Mama Night Heron instructing her little one in the art of snatching a free meal.  Early this morning, Mark and I went fishing and saw three Night Herons fly over the pier.  They landed in the marsh close to us.  After a bit, two herons flew away.  One stayed.  I did not think much about the incident.  Night Herons have a knack of finding free food whenever we are on the pier.  These birds are not above taking handouts of our bait.  

It was not until late this evening that I realized what had taken place.  Mama Night Heron had parked one of her little ones near the pier and then moved the other one to the Bayou.  She obviously had enough of caring for them.  Her meals needed to be for herself now and not be going to down the gullet of her young'uns.  In other words..she abandoned them once they became old enough to fend for themselves.  The juvenile Night Heron was trying its best to catch a few of the mullet that were in the pool left by the falling tide.  The mullet were trapped in about three inches of water which made for easy pickings for an adult heron.  The little one was not as adept as the adult.  It was having a bit of trouble snagging the feisty fish.  Try as he might, he could not catch as many as he desired.  

Tomorrow morning if the little bird is still in the same place, I will sneak a few of our menhaden to him.  I would hate to think that this little fellow might go hungry!  Perhaps that is what Mama Night Heron had in mind when she parked him here.  "You stay here!  That lady will feel sorry for you and feed you!  She is a sucker for cute little birds!"  Ok..I admit it.  I am a sucker for these birds.  I will hand over all of my bait to them if they seem a bit hungry..and they are always hungry!