Just A Little Bird Friend

  As I have often stated, daybreak is probably my favorite time of the day.  It is then that I can sneak down to the pier to watch the sunrise in peace and do a bit of meditation before the hubbub of the day begins.  The old dog (Mr. PJ) and I sit in silence as the world around us begins to stir.  More oft than not, we find ourselves the audience of any number of spectacular critter visits.  These visits make our time on the pier even more special.

  The other morning, the tide was low making for a feeding frenzy for many shore critters.  Tiny shrimp were hovering in the shallows and some had even become trapped in small divots in the mud.  One fine critter to visit just a few feet from our sitting spot was a small rail. She was so busy in snatching up the tiny shrimp that she never noticed that a dog and human were so close.  Not that it mattered as neither the old dog nor I had any interest in harming the bird.  Even after Mr. PJ sneezed, she continued with her breakfast.  

  The rails often come out of the marsh to visit.  The birds have become special friends of ours and will even bring their little ones out to scamper the mudflats while we are watching.  Our nigh on daily sunrise trips to the pier have caused the rails (and many other critters) to lose their fear of us.  They seem to understand that our presence is not a threat.  This is just another positive part of sharing the Bayou with so many critter friends.