Looky! I Am A Duck!

  Early in the morning just about sun up, the critters of the Bayou all seem to get along fine.  The heat of the day has not yet caused tempers to flare nor greediness to head.  All is well in the critter world.  Sometimes, however, I do think that some of the youngsters get a bit confused about who they really are.  Take this morning, for example.  A  juvenile laughing gull came swimming by the pier.  Yep.  While gulls are more often seen flying above our heads or perched on the pier posts, this little guy decided to swim.  He paddled happily about the pier as if it was perfectly normal action.  Perhaps, he had been watching the ducks and geese and figured that they were getting handouts so he would give it a go.  "Maybe if I act like a duck, I will get a tasty treat!"

  

  The laughing gulls normally nest in large numbers out on the islands or front beach.  It would be rare for one to nest here on the Bayou as there are too many predators that would make short work of the eggs or chicks.  When nesting in colonies of hundreds of birds, there is a community effort to protect the nests.  This youngster has been on the Bayou a few days so he is well on his way of being independent.  He has made his way to our Bayou and will most likely spend a good bit of time here.  The food is plentiful and, if he behaves himself and acts so adorably cute, handouts will be proffered on a daily basis.

  The young gull swam for most of the morning before he flew to a nearby pier post.  There, he perched and preened as most birds do.  He came back to the pier as Mark cleaned our catch of fish.  The bird received plenty of scraps to fill his belly this morning!  He will be back.