When all else fails, go to the pier!

  When all else fails, go to the pier.  There, one can find peace proffered by the gentle breeze and soft sounds of the waves.  It is also there that you can escape from the worries of the world even if it is just for a while.  It helps tremendously.  Or, maybe it is just me.  Maybe the call of the water is something that is in my upbringing.  Pop always said that I had saltwater in my veins instead of blood.  Weird way of saying I belonged on the Bayou but who's to question?

  Recently, an early morning visit to the pier brought, not only solace, but a chance to watch some rather unusual birds.  The Black Skimmers were out in full force.  These graceful birds were flying just inches above the water's surface as they hunted for breakfast.  Their lower mandibles were skimming the surface (hence their name) and each time a hapless menhaden got in the way, it became breakfast for a bird.  The lower mandible of the Black Skimmer is longer than its top mandible and is also hinged.  When the lower mandible hits a fish, the bird snaps the top down trapping the fish.  The bird then swallows the fish while still in flight.  

  These graceful birds have a tendency to linger near the Bayou in search of food.  They know that with the tide changes, the small fish will either exit or enter the Bayou.  The small fish gather in huge schools making it a grand feasting time for the Skimmers.  This schooling also gives me a fabulous view of the Skimmers in action.  Watching them makes things right with the world....even if it is only for a short time.

Dead Cameras, Old Photographs and Beautiful Birds!

  Of all times for a camera to die, mine did just that today.  I have the first run of the Annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou tomorrow evening and will not have my favorite camera to take pictures.  It just up and died.....bit the dust.....gave up the ghost....bid goodbye to this world.  I am lost.  Son says I worked it to death and I suppose I did.  In the period of time that I have had this old thing, I have taken well over 40,000...(yes, 40,000) photographs.  I did indeed get Mark's money's worth from this one.  This was the second of this type camera that he bought for me.  I loved it so very much that when the first one died (probably from overuse as well!), he searched until he found another.  It was the best Christmas gift ever!  And now this one is gone.....booo!

  Anyway, that said, you will have to be happy with a photograph from my stash.  This is of one of the beautiful Black Skimmers that frequent the Bayou.  They are some of my favorite birds merely because they are so graceful.  These birds can "skim" the with their beaks wide open. They will only be a few inches above the water while they feed.  The bird is born with its top and bottom section of the beak the same length but as it develops, the bottom beak becomes longer than the top. There is also a special "hinge" on the top portion of the beak,This allows for the skimming ability.  The Black Skimmer is the only bird in the United States with this unique beak.  The bottom part of the beak skims in the water until the bird "feels" something.  The top part slams down upon the fish and the bird gulps it.  It can do this without ever missing a wing beat! 

  Hopefully, I can figure out the new camera before long and be back in the swing of things soon.  Please pardon the use of an old photograph!

Jubilee or Fish Kill?

Every now and again, the Coast sees a "Fish Jubilee".  For those who do not know, a Jubilee is a mass swarming of fish and crustaceans towards the shallow water.  No one really knows why the sea life does this.  There are numerous explanation but none that seems to fully explain or predict the event.  Once word spreads that a Jubilee is occurring, thousands of locals flock to the beach to fill up buckets, sacks and baskets with fish and crabs.  A scoop net and bucket are the only tools required to obtain quite a hefty amount of seafood.  The sad part is, tons of fish become trapped and die.  Yesterday morning, the Coast awoke to such a mess.  During the night, a Jubilee occurred.  A grand thing for many folks who want a great haul of seafood but a grand mess for those that use the beach during the daylight hours.  Personally, I worry about any fish kill.  Could there be some unseen cause that made so many fish seek safer waters?  Hmmm?  Ponder, ponder.  Experts claim that a depletion of oxygen in the deeper water causes the fish to head toward the shallows.  Red Tide (Algae bloom) can cause such a depletion.  Red Tide can also cause health problems for sea life and humans alike.  I do hope this was not the case with this so-called Jubilee.  Something just tells me not all is right with the Gulf of Mexico.

I was on the pier early this morning and saw nary a dead fish in the Bay.  Perhaps none seeking clean water came this far?  I have no clue.  What I did see was a healthy looking Bay.  Menhaden were schooling in droves, mullet were running and bottlenose dolphins were playing.  All seemed well.   I counted my blessings and said a quiet prayer of thanks.  So far there were no problems this far inland.   The clean waters set the stage for one of my favorite birds.  The Black Skimmer was making good use of the schools of menhaden.  He was able to get breakfast quite easily this morning.  As I watched him, the golden sunlight played on his white feathered underside.  Such a beauty, this one!

The Gulf of Mexico has had enough problems over the past few years.  It does not need some other catastrophe bearing down on it.  Hopefully, this latest fish kill was a natural occurrence.  Hopefully, the authorities that are calling it a Jubilee are correct.  I worry far too much about my Bayou, I suppose, but it is a way of life..not only of the fish and critters but of mine as well.  Hopefully, my gut feeling is for naught.

Of Boots, Raindrops, Black Skimmers and Liberty!

I am missing my son and daughter-in-law!  This past weekend, they came for a visit and I enjoyed it so much that I hated for them to leave!  Their visits are always too short and far apart for my liking!  I know this cannot be avoided but that does not help the little twinges of heartache as I watch them drive away.  One evening during this visit, Joanna had slipped off her boots after a trek to the pier.  Come time for us all to retire, she asked if I minded that her boots sat in our living room over night. Of course not!  Later, I pondered that question and thought to myself..those boots can stay at my house all of the time!  Not that I fancy wearing boots..but I know if the boots are here, Joanna and Mark are here!  Yep..those boots can stay right here in the living room!

After the five-minute rain shower this morning, I headed to the gardens.  There my interest was captivated by a tiny lizard creeping on one of the leaves.  The little guy was only about three inches long so he could not have been more than a few days old.  I noticed how thin the lizard seemed to be..almost too thin.  This little guy has had a struggle for survival.  I guess when you are that tiny and on your own, life has to be hard.  I watched as the lizard drank from the droplets of rain that were clinging to the leaf.  He seemed to be appreciative of those tiny pools..that life-giving rain!

Some of my favorite birds have been putting on quite a show as of late.  The Black Skimmers are out every morning and evening scooping up the menhaden that have filled the Bay.  It always thrills me to see these large birds in their graceful flight just inches above the water's surface.  They have a tendency to fly so fast that it is difficult to get a really clear picture so when this shot turned out well, I smiled with a bit of smug satisfaction!

Today, a song brought tears to my eyes.  My sweet niece, Eva Black has released her new CD titled "Liberty".  It is a patriotic collection of songs that includes the National Anthem.  Throughout my many years, I have stood hand-on-heart every time it was played or sung.  I have always been touched but never once have I been so moved as today.  Eva sings it like no other! But as moved as I was by the "Star Spangled Banner", it was not the one that brought the tears.   The the last song on the CD is one written and sung by Eva after a conversation with her little boy, Evan.  In the title song, "Liberty", she explains what true love for our country is..what liberty is and how it is obtained.  Hearing this song and knowing that here is a young mother teaching her son patriotism made me realize that even if the country seems to be in dire straits, there will always be those that will stand to defend it!  God Bless America!  And God Bless Eva for sharing her amazing talents with the world.

Black Skimmers

The Black Skimmers have been busy-busy this week! The Bay is so full of menhaden and small mullet that the birds can barely go a few feet without having their beaks filled with fish. The Black Skimmer is a large, black and white, tern-like bird that has a bright red bill and bright red feet! The bill is oddly shaped with the lower mandible being longer than the upper. This allows the bird to scoop up minnows and small fish as it "skims" the top of the water. It is the only bird in the United States that has this bill feature. Strangely enough, when the birds first hatch, both mandibles are the same length. Within just a few weeks however, there is a very noticeable difference in the length. Another unique feature of the bill is that the top mandible is hinged to allow the bird to lift it as it plows the bottom through the water. If a small enough fish is caught, the Black Skimmer can jostle it around and swallow it while still on the wing. It then will continue right on fishing as if there were no interruption in its flight.

Since the Black Skimmer's feeding method relies on touch instead of sight, it can forage for food day or night. This habit gives cause for a lot of the local fishermen to call them "Night Skimmers" instead of Black Skimmer. I find myself using this same name for them! It is actually more common to see them start their flights late in the evening simply because the water is much calmer then. This makes it easier for the bird to keep its flight pattern of right above the water. Usually hunting singly or in pairs, occasionally (like this evening) they will join up in large groups. Tonight's scoop (name for a group of Skimmers) was made up of six birds. They glided along the marsh edge until they were out of sight only to make the loop and start over again. Ezzy, the dog, and I sat on the pier for over an hour just watching them scoop up the menhaden. The birds just randomly choose a path and hope that a fish will be in the line of attack. They do not survey the water, they do not dive attack, they just fly along hoping for the best! Obviously, this method works as they do not seem to be starving!

For some reason even though I see these birds often, they never fail to enthrall me. I am always a tad bit excited when they make their appearance around the Bayou. I suppose there is a bit of me that wishes I could be out there like them..skimming across the water.