Enjoying The Bayou Life

  Early this morning, Mark and I headed out to the garden to pick tomatoes.  If we don't gather them, the critters haul them off.  It is frustrating to put so much work into a garden only to have animals ruin it but, as Pop used to say "They have to eat, too."  He would follow that up with a remark of "Next year, we will just have to plant more."  Well, Pop!  That may have been fine and dandy for us back on the farm because the fields could hold a lot more plants than my tiny garden plot.  There is simply no space to "plant more".   The critters need to find another food source.

  After filling our bowls, we decided to walk to the pier.  It was on our way back up the hillside when Mark pointed out a woodpecker in the oak tree.  It turned out that there were actually three birds in that tree!  A mama and two little red-bellied woodpeckers were busy finding breakfast.  While I photographed the birds, Mark was giving me a summary of what was happening.  "She found something and now both babies are fussing over who is getting it."  I continued snapping pictures in hopes of getting that "great" photo.  "They have moved to the pine tree.  Oh, wait.  No, now they are on the other oak."  I had the best guide leading me around the yard while I peered at the camera.  It made life a lot easier to have someone guiding my steps.  

  After a bit, the birds flitted off to a thicket and we continued our walk.  It is the simple things like this that make mornings happy, here on the Bayou.  The birds, fresh tomatoes, hikes or merely time spent together can make the day happier.  It also helped that these birds were not raiding the garden patch!

No Hopes for Adoption

  Since our mid-days are now seeing temperatures in the high 90s, it seemed far more comfortable outside than in the Little Bayou House. Even with all of the windows open and fans turning, it felt almost stifling. So, I toted my project outside to work on the little deck.  My "project" is part of the upcoming Clue Hunt on the Bayou and consisted of quite a large piece of plywood, a dozen or so tubes of paint and a handful of paintbrushes.  Of course, I could not step foot outside without sneaking the camera out, too!  As I whiled away the hours painting, I kept a close eye on the bird feeders.  Something was just bound to happen!  I knew it!

  Sure enough, I eventually heard the plaintive calls of a baby woodpecker.  Ahh, I thought...a mother was teaching her little one to come to the feeders!  I peeked up from my work to find the little tyke. Sure enough, there was a small woodpecker in the far feeder but the parent birds could not be found.  Hmmm.   This was strange.  The little one kept calling but received no answer.  Then a gorgeous Redheaded Woodpecker lit on the old driftwood post that held a makeshift feeder. Perhaps this was the mom?  Nope...wrong family of woodpeckers.  The baby was a Redbelly Woodpecker.  The adult Redheaded picked up a sunflower seed and proceeded to crack it open.  It then called and its little one flew in from the oak branch above my head.  That baby made all sorts of screeching as it begged for food.  The adult bird dutifully poked the shelled seed into the open mouth and picked up another.  This went on for some time with each seed being given to the baby.  Meanwhile, down the hill a ways, the baby Redbelly watched.  Poor little one was hungry and had no parent bird poking food in its open mouth.  It decided to beg for food from the only adult there and flew up next to the baby Redhead. 'My heart broke a little because the adult Redheaded Woodpecker literally smacked the little intruder hard enough that the bird fell to the ground.  That parent was not about to feed the offspring of a rival woodpecker!  The little Redbelly made a wobbly flight to the fence post and cried. 

  We hear all sorts of lovely tales of how even different species of animals adopt orphans but here one woodpecker would not help out an innocent babe.  Not once did any bird attempt to feed the hungry tyke. Not once did the true parents come to rescue their little one.  Not once was any mercy exhibited toward the hungry tyke.  It makes me wonder about all of those stories....were they forced adoptions?  It definitely did not happen by chance here!

  After a bit, I noticed the little Redbelly Woodpecker was back in the far feeder.  It was attempting to forage through the seeds for something smaller and softer than the sunflower seeds.  At least it was eating! Hopefully, the little one will be ok.  If it is truly on its own, it will have to be extra vigilant of the hawks that are constantly patrolling the area.  I wish it well.

Raiding the Brambles

    I was hiking around the marsh edge when I witnessed one of the sweetest things.  A pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers was raiding the wild blackberry brambles.  They would swoop down and flutter for a moment before plucking a nice fat berry from the vines.  As soon as one of the birds would grasp a berry, it would fly up to the nearby oak limb. There a ruckus would commence as their offspring sat with its mouth agape.  "Feed me, feed me!" the baby bird would squeal. And feed it, they would.  Berry after berry was shoved down that hungry throat.

  The wild blackberry vines grow higher than my head.  Huge clumps of them dot the hillside ever since Hurricane Katrina.  I am assuming that bits of root stock were washed in with the storm surge and then established themselves.  I leave clumps about the hillside simply because so many critters feed upon them and, if the need ever arises, so can we.  The berries are slightly tarter than the cultivated Boysenberries that I grow on fence lines in the garden but are still tasty and would make great jams and jellies.  If I was not overloaded with fruit and berries that need picking and canning at the moment, I would surely give these a try!

  I watched for about twenty minutes while the parent birds fed their little one.  Then they abruptly flew towards the north and I continued my hike. When I finally made my way up from the creek and through the peach orchard, I heard a familiar noise.  That trio had come to raid my Boysenberries!  The same procedure was occurring. The parents were teaching their little tyke all the good places to dine!  Oh, well.  I really did not feel like picking berries this afternoon anyway.  Son and I did our share this morning when we picked 28 lbs of blueberries.  Whew!  I think I shall just watch the birds pick the other berries!

Tragedy strikes the Bayou

  There comes times on the Bayou that life just seems unfair.  Perhaps it is just me.  I seem to grow attached to wild critters that roam and fly about the marshes and wooded areas so that when something happens, it tugs at the heartstrings a bit.  I know that life continues but at times things happen that make you wonder how critters ever survive at all. This afternoon saw us enduring a rather strong storm.  We have had torrential rains and high winds for the past couple of days but this afternoon's gale seemed much worse.  The winds were well onto tropical storm strength.  It made for a rough time but the Little Bayou House held and we were snug as a bug.  The critters sought shelter where they could but some of those shelters were not so safe. 

  Late afternoon saw a clearing of the skies for a short while.  Mark and I took advantage of this and headed out for our hike.  As soon as we stepped outside, we noticed something was amiss.  The tall, dead Black Gum tree had been knocked topless.  The entire top of the tree had crashed down on my new lawn furniture.  One of the chairs was smashed but I hardly noticed.  On the ground under the pile of rubble was a tiny, lifeless body.  Oh, my goodness!  My poor baby!  I reached down to pick up the small Redbellied Woodpecker when I spied his sibling.  The two fledglings had obviously came back to their nest to ride out the severe weather.  When the wind blew down the top of the tree, their home had become a deathtrap.  The two young birds were crushed beneath the very tree in which they felt safe.  My poor babies.  It was then that I saw Mama and Papa Woodpecker frantically searching the non-existent treetop for their little ones.  This family had endured so many problems during nesting only to have it end in tragedy.  My heart was breaking for the pair.  

  This is just one of the times that makes me realize how fleeting life really is.  The birds perished before their life had really begun.  Ours are just as temporary.  We are not promised tomorrow.  Please take time to cherish what little time there is.  Hug your family members and tell them you love them.  Slow down and take time to do something that makes you happy.  Smile.  Visit that elderly neighbor that sits for hours staring out the window dreaming of days gone.  Bring them some fruit, a flower, a homemade loaf of bread or even just a smile. Teach a child how to play hopscotch, marbles or sew a doll dress.  Take care of your health.  Be happy and thank the Good Lord that your life is filled with so many, many blessings....even those that you cannot see.  I am thankful for you, my friends.

Nine Inches and a Pot of Coffee!

After months and months of drought, we have rain...lots of rain! I emptied the rain gauges yesterday evening at about eight o'clock and the reading at two this afternoon showed right at nine inches. That is a lot of rain in less than twenty-four hours! It delights me to no end even though this amount of rain caused a few minor problems. Our ground needed soaking and this was just the rain to do it. It poured but was a nice steady rain.

Shelby wanting to learn computers!

Shelby exploring her new-found playroom!

As for the minor problems, they were nothing that could not be solved with a bit of minor ingenuity. First, both little Mockingbirds were soaked to the bone, chilled to the point of shaking and hungry. Shelby was the first to come inside this morning. I rigged up a light over the birdcage so she could dry out and warm herself. I knew that she could not possibly spend all day in the tiny cage so out came sheets and blankets! I covered everything in the livingroom and just let the cage door open. For anyone that has not seen my livingroom, you have to understand that it is not like the classic formal livingroom nor even like a den..it is rustic..very, very rustic. This said, I had no qualms about letting her just fly around and explore. She was everywhere! Then about two hours later, I heard Knox. At first, I could not find him. Then I spied poor, little wet Knox. He fit the idiom of "drowned rat" perfectly! The bird was so wet that he could not fly. I gingerly picked him up and toted him inside. After wrapping him in a towel, I hurried to the kitchen. I had boiled an egg earlier and it was still warm..so I knew this was just what he needed. It took a good hour before Knox was ready to join Shelby in her new-found playroom! They had wonderful time exploring the nooks and crannies of the room while the rain poured outside. Neither wanted outside!

Poor Knox looking a bit worse for wear.

Sweet Knox after warming a bit.

After the rains stopped, I opened the door and coaxed my little friends out to get a bit of fresh air. Away they flew! Happy campers! Then I spied something moving near a large pine tree. My nephew and I eased our way closer to get a better view. Oh, my goodness! There was a tiny Red-bellied Woodpecker flopping around in the edge of Puddlepond. Another tiny creature in trouble! I scooped him up and just like the others, he was freezing! He snuggled down in my hands and made no effort to escape. Poor baby! I looked around trying to find Mama Bird. She was in the top of the pine tree. Now what to do??? Warming the bird was easy..getting him back to Mama was the problem. I need a temporary nest! Woodpeckers all nest in holes that they drill in the trunks of dead trees. Surely, I could not do this..something else would have to suffice. After pondering this for a bit, ingenuity struck again! I hit upon the idea of cutting a hole in a plastic coffee can and wiring it to the trunk of the pine tree. I was not sure if Baby nor Mama would approve but with Ms. Put on the prowl, this little one did not stand a chance if left on the ground. After getting it situated, I held Little Bit up near the hole. Not wavering a bit, he climbed right in and snuggled into the cloth that I had put inside the can. Now..the moment of truth..would Mama accept the makeshift housing and come to feed her baby? I waited..and waited..and waited for what seemed like hours. Oh, please come! Then a fluttering of wings and a bit of quiet chattering. Little Bit's head flew out of the hole and Mama poked a nice fat caterpillar into the gaping mouth! Success! Mama and Daddy were soon feeding their little one as if this was their home away from home! Little Bit would be ok! I did not have to feed another bird! By this time, it was getting a tad dark so I turned to head inside feeling quite content with my deed. Oh, no...there on the screen door were two Mockingbirds..both wanting inside for the night. Not again......

Baby Red-bellied Woodpecker that was washed from his nest with all of the rain.

Lovely makeshift housing for misplaced Little Bit!