Be Safe, Little One, Be Safe!

  Back during the summertime, I had reasonable amount of concern about the mother rail and her chicks.  Mama had nested near the pier and hatched four of her eggs.  The little black fuzzballs scampered about the marsh and mudflats with great jubilation.  They were the cutest little chicks that I saw all summer.  Sadly, one by one, the chicks disappeared until only one remained.  My concern was that some predator was dining upon the baby chicks and would soon devour all of them.  Just days before I found the chicks, I had seen two quite large watersnakes in the same area.  I worried that those might even decide to make a meal of Mama Rail given the chance.  I watched the mama and her lone chick as they scavenged the mudflats for any tidbits they could find.  I, also,  observed Mama teaching her little one to be wary of intruders.  This gave me hope that the little one would survive.

  A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that the youngster was quite on its own.  It had grown into a handsome bird and was doing well as it fed upon the fiddler crabs.  I assumed that Mama Rail had left it on its own near the pier as she knew there was a good food supply there.  

  Then a new predator came on the scene.  The Cooper's Hawk was seen eyeing the young bird.  This hawk has left its mark on the population of the songbirds in the yard to the point that I have had to stop filling the feeders.  By supplying the birds with a ready source of food, I was also fattening them for the hawk.  While I could at least make an attempt to protect the songbirds, there was not a lot I could do to help the rail.  Hopefully, the hawk will deem the bird a bit too large and have second thoughts about attacking it.  That little rail family has had enough problems.  They do not need to be harassed by the hawk.  Go away, hawk!  Leave my little friend alone!