For the past couple of weeks, the fireplace in the Little Bayou House has sounded haunted. Well, in a way it is. It is haunted by a nest of baby Chimney Swifts. At first the twittering could barely be heard. When Mama or Papa Swift came swooping down in the chimney, a few little peeps let me know that the hungry mouths were open and receiving nourishment. After just a couple of days, their voices grew stronger. The birds were rapidly growing and by this time had already outgrown the tiny nest which was plastered to the inside wall of the chimney. Since seeing inside the upper part of the chimney is rather difficult, the progress of the little ones had to be purely a guess but they were definitely getting stronger. By the end of the first week, Son compared the chirping to a wagon with four squeaky wheels. I closed my eyes and could definitely see the resemblance. Yep, the birds were squeaking!
Soon there came the fluttering of wings along with the more intense calls for food. The drumming of the wings on the side of the chimney came echoing down to the fireplace. The beats were like a few bongo drums being pounded by some beatnik! The squeaky wheel effect changed with the coming days and soon could be described better as screeching....and the birds dropped lower into the fireplace. Poor parent birds had a long flight down that two story chimney and I had to endure the loud screeches of the little ones...even well into the night.
This morning, I removed the cover of the fireplace and discovered one little bird had perished and another was clinging about a foot from the floor of the fireplace. Others were higher up and continued screeching while I photographed the lower one. After replacing the cover, I heard the little one fluttering up higher to be with its siblings.
While folks who visit the Little Bayou House are a little taken aback by the screeching fireplace, I sort of enjoy it. I can understand the sudden screeching from the "haunted" fireplace being a bit unnerving to those who are unaware of the birds' presence, but the chirping reminds me of being back on the farm. As a kid, I recall both fireplaces in the old farmhouse having birds each summer. Mom and Pop never worried about the birds nor did they try to dissuade them from nesting there. "Those birds eat a lot of bugs." was a phrase that I remember Pop telling visitors. Yep, they do.
It is a little known fact that Chimney Swifts cannot roost like other birds. They spend their entire waking hours in flight and can only cling on a vertical surface. When resting, the birds prefer the dark, coolness of chimneys and other such areas. Even their nests are plastered to the vertical surface of chimneys and are held in place by the birds's glue-like saliva.
It is a sad state of affairs for the birds with not too many "old fashioned" chimneys about the place. The modern chimneys have caps which inhibit the birds from entering so their nesting sites are dwindling. Swifts used to nest in cliff caves, dead trees, outhouses, silos and any other tall, dark places but even those are fast becoming things of the past. With their nesting sites becoming scarce, the population of Chimney Swifts is plummeting. This is a sad thing for any species but for one that is so beneficial to all of us, it is particularly disturbing. I did find instructions on making Chimney Swift Towers and will encourage Son to build a couple out of scrap lumber. Maybe I can interest Darling Daughter to erect a few on their property as well. It cannot hurt and may be a boon to the birds. I think a new project is in the works! I have to save the Little Screechers!
There is a Coastal legend called "The Ring in the Oak". According to all that has been told, a Indian maiden from the Biloxi Tribe fell in love with a warrior from the neighboring Pascagoula Tribe. Since these were rivals, the Chief of the Biloxi Tribe refused to allow a marriage to take place. The young maiden begged so much that the Chief finally relented....a little bit. "When a ring grows in yon oak tree, you may marry." The story goes on to say that a terrible hurricane hit the area and when the winds subsided, lo and behold, a ring appeared in the tree. The Chief stood true to his word and allowed the marriage to take place. As odd as it may seem, to this day there is a ring in that very same oak tree. The tree has withstood all hurricanes even though it stands right near the beach. Also, as odd as it may seem, the legend has a few problems as the Biloxi Tribe and Pascagoula Tribe were not only allies but friends. Still, it makes for a good story and the tale has withstood the test of time just like the old oak tree. Tree experts have explained away the legend by declaring that the limb was damaged (split) by the storm and healed over to form a ring. Probably....but you will never be able to convince any die-hard believers that their tree was not a miracle performed in the defense of true love.
Late this afternoon, I was making my way back from the pier when I noticed our own "ring in the oak". My ring is not a true ring....yet. If the experts are correct, given a few hundred years, this ring will need a legend as well. Just like the "Ring in the Oak" tree, the oak tree here was bent and twisted during a hurricane. I first noticed the odd angle right after Hurricane Katrina. Let nature take its course and in time, the tree limbs will grow together and form an unusual ring. Mother Nature has a way of taking care of things.
I guess now that I mention it, I really need to get started creating a fantastic legend to attach to my tree! You know, it takes a while for legends to catch on with folks. Perhaps it will not be some sappy love story but a tale of endurance or perhaps something mystical or magical like the Bayou itself. That would be a fitting tale to give my tree!
