Non-working Camouflage

  Camouflage in the critter world is crucial.  Predators use it as a means to hide so they can easily ambush their unsuspecting prey and smaller critters use it to keep from becoming prey.  At times, the camouflage is so good that it is difficult to spot the critter.  Cottonmouths can blend with dead leaves, tree frogs can sit unobserved on a leaf and spotted baby deer disappear on a sun-dappled forest floor.  Many, many times, people walk right past a critter without ever realizing it is there.

  While a green anole can hide perfectly well on green leaves, it does not do so well on purple.  This morning, one decided to hide in the Hawaiian Ti plant.  He was doing quite well with the "sit still" part but its bright green coloring stuck out like a sore thumb against the reds and purples of the leaves.  Silly lizard!  You are not hiding!  I welcome the lizard hiding among my plants as they are sure helpful with garden pests. Carry on, lizard, carry on/

A Million Critters

   Have you ever thought of how many critters go unseen when we are out in their territory?  Some are so camouflaged that we pass right on by without ever a sighting.  They hide!  It is all about survival for them.  Being a predator or a prey, each has a great need for camouflage.  I was thinking of this when I was on the pier during the predawn hours.  How many critters are out there in that marsh?  How many sets of eyes are watching my every move?  How many are waiting for me to leave so they can go about their lives without being interrupted?  Just how many?

  Well, along about sunrise, I got an inkling of at least how many of one type of critter were there.  As the sun rose up over the pines, the rays glided over the marsh and illuminated every spiderweb in its wake.  As far as the eye could see, there were spiderwebs.  I am assuming there were millions upon millions of webs so there had to be that many spiders.  At night, if you take a strong flashlight to the pier, millions of eyes will light up across the marsh.  It is a pretty amazing sight seeing all of those glittering eyes!  Many of these spiders are wolf spiders and their eyes glow like turquoise gemstones.

  So, if there are millions of spiders in the marshes around the Bayou, think of how many other critters go unseen!  The world is an amazing place.

The Marsh Is Not Safe!

  Camouflage is a good thing when you are a young critter...or, well, any critter...but particularly when you are young and defenseless.  It can mean the difference between life and death.  On the Bayou, there are many predators all wanting a meal.  Some are bold and brazen while others are cunning and quiet.  To my way of thinking, those quiet, sneaky ones are the worst.  They lie in wait and then pounce when their prey is least suspecting.   But, since most predators hunt by seeing movement, the camouflage can save many, many lives.

  My hike started before dawn and eventually brought me to the pier once the eastern sky started to brighten.  With the first step on the pier, a wave of suspense came over me.  Something, somewhere was watching me.  I could feel it.  In fact, it was enough to stop me in my tracks.  Not knowing what was in the marsh or in the trees overhead, the need to be cautious was ever present.  One thing that Pop taught me was to stop and search the area if I felt uneasy about my path.  If this was some predator that could harm me, I wanted to find it so I would know how to address the situation.

  

  It took only a few moments before I could give a sigh of relief.  To my left, there was an old board in the marsh and on that board was a sweet little mourning dove.  The bird was a juvenile and was not sure of itself.  The little tyke was semi-camouflaged but was still in danger.  It had chosen a very precarious spot to spend the night.  Predators prowl the marshes constantly so it is a wonder that the little bird had not already been spotted.  Perhaps it had sought protection from a hawk and thought the marsh was a good spot.  

  Just yesterday, I came across a rather large tuft of white feathers and instantly realized that one of my songbirds had fallen prey to either the large owl during the night or a hawk earlier in the day.  The little dove this morning could have witnessed the brutality that had occurred and took refuge in the marsh.  I could not help but give the little bird a bit of advice.  "Little One!  The marsh is not safe. Scoot yourself up to the jasmine vines or roses as you will be safe there!"  Maybe it will listen...maybe not.  Good luck, Little Dove.

This Is Just NOT Working!

  I am sorry, my friend, but your good intentions are just not working.  I hate to be the one to break it to you but to make full use of your camouflage, you must try to blend in with the background...NOT stand out!  It does not work that way!  Someone as tiny as you has to hide from predators!  Oh, sweet thing!  You have a lot of learning to do if you are going to survive here on the Bayou.

  Early this morning, I headed out the back door to the berry patch.  The boysenberries were long overdue for a good cleaning and the fences were in dire need of repair.  After clipping, cleaning, putting in posts and stringing up new rabbit wire, I was ready for a water break!  But first...I had to give the plants water.  A dozen new boysenberry plants had just found new homes along the fence!  Since I was planning to do a bit of cleaning in the Frog Pond this week, as well, I grabbed a bucket and scooped several gallons of the murky water.  This water was rich in nutrients for plants so I was sure not going to waste it by just draining the pond.  I turned and came face to face with a green tree frog!  The little guy sat motionless in hopes that its "camouflage" was working.  These are arboreal frogs that depend on their "resting shape" and bright green coloring to hide them among the leaves.  This is all fine and dandy when you are resting in a tree that has LEAVES!  The little froggy had chosen to climb up the corkscrew willow for the day.  This is a tree that loses its leaves during the winter months and sprouts new during the spring.  Bad part...it had nary a leaf.  The bright green frog stood out like a sore thumb!  Poor buddy!  He seemed to realize his mistake but was at the point of no return.  There was no getting away from the fact that he could be easily seen.  

  After talking with Froggy for a few moments to ease his fears, I stepped aside and went to the canebrake.  There, I broke about six or seven fronds of cane leaves to provide an "umbrella" of sorts for my sweet friend.  Back at the Frog Pond, I found my buddy still in the same spot so I carefully slipped the handful of cane branches down inside the mass of limbs of the willow.  Once I let go, the leaves billowed out and surrounded the little frog.  "There you go, Little Buddy!"  Instant camo!  

  Later this afternoon, I checked on the frog and he was still in the same spot but had been protected not only from predators (birds, snakes, etc) but from the hot sun that would have surely blistered his skin.  For today, the frog was safe.  If it comes back to the same branch tomorrow, I will provide yet more cane leaves as a shelter.  Yes...I do actually take care of my Bayou Friends.  They are the best friends ever and deserve to be treated as such.

Camouflage...It Serves Well

  Some critters depend on camouflage to protect them from the many predators that roam the Bayou.  Sometimes, a critter is too small to put up much of a fight against larger critters.  Sometimes, they lack "weapons" (claws, fangs etc.) to defend themselves.  If that flight mode is not the best move, freeze mode has to kick in.  More oft than not, the predator depends on movement to find its prey and if the freeze mode comes into play, camouflage serves well.  Being well camouflaged and as still as a church mouse, can mean the difference between life and death.

  This afternoon, the "freeze mode" was not necessary as I am not considered to be a predator to any of the critters that see me out and about.  They know that I mean no harm so they go about their business without worry.  A small sparrow busied itself near the palmetto clump while i was just a few feet away.  While the bird made no effort to conceal itself, I had to marvel at how well it blended with the background. Movement would be the only giveaway that the tiny bird was in the area.  For now, the bird could scratch in search of food without a care in the world.  Hopefully, it will always be that way but life is rough and the bird has to be wary.  Good luck. Little Friend, good luck.

  

Is That A Good Idea??

  Camouflage is a good thing.  In the critter world, it is a necessity.  Either a critter will use camouflage to catch something to eat or hide from being eaten. Whichever the case may be, a good camouflage can save a life.  The bobcat's coloring can hide it while it lies in wait for prey to appear.  An ambush by the cat can take down even a much larger critter.  That element of surprise is heightened by its ability to sit perfectly motionless under a palmetto frond.  The spots on the bobcat closely resemble the sun dappled leaves that litter the ground.  It is hard to spy the cat due to that camouflage.  Then, there are those critters that use their camouflage to escape being eaten.   The Mottled Duck is one such animal.  This bird nests right in the midst of the marsh but finding a mama duck on the nest is nigh on impossible.  Her feathers are so like the marsh colors that unless you hear her, she blends really well.

  Camouflage can only go so far in protection, though.  A bit of common sense needs to be applied in there somewhere as well.  No matter how well that duck is hidden, if she quacks, her hiding spot is revealed.  The same with that bobcat.  Let that cat scratch an itch and supper will have to wait.

  Just yesterday, Son made the remark about camouflage gone awry.  A moth had plans to stay hidden on the fence post during the daytime hours.  It was well camouflaged because the browns of the moth's wings blended well with the wood of the fence post.  Perfect hiding spot...probably not.  The moth had decided to improve its hiding spot by crawling into a "crevice" only that crevice was not a safe place. The moth was between the fence post and the gate.  Had Son not seen the moth in time, he may have smashed it by closing the gate a bit to sharply.  Son, having a soft heart when it comes to critters, told me to "Be careful, there is a moth on the gatepost."  He knows me well.  The roles could have been reversed here.  I could have very easily been the one trying to save the moth.  

  The camouflage did not do too well in protecting the moth from potential harm but Son did, so all was well.  Nothing ate the moth nor was it smashed by the swinging gate.  It lived to flit around another night and, hopefully, escaped the bats!  Life's a struggle!

I know you are there....somewhere!

  Here lately, I have been pondering the survival tactics of critters.  Here on the Bayou, there is a plethora of critters so I have the opportunity to observe things first hand.  One of the things that always impresses is the art of camouflage.  Critters are masters at this.  Most folks will walk past dozens of critters without even noticing them.  Not that I can spot a lot of them but. at least, I look for them!  It has become sort of a game with me to spot camouflaged critters.  Moths blend well with tree bark. Grasshoppers and katydids are sometimes impossible to spot among foliage.  Frogs blend well with logs and mud.  AND...crabs can hide among the bits of debris that washes in on high tide.

  Fiddler crabs, especially, are adept at hiding in the midst of debris lines.  A tiny crab can blend so well with its surroundings that it is easy to go so far as to step on them when hiking.  Fiddler crabs will oftentimes "freeze" as a method of defense if the flight instinct mode is not feasible.  Freezing in place will protect the crab from certain predators.  A bird perched high in a tree is attracted to movement so if the crab stops, it becomes well hidden.  The same goes with most predators.  They sense motion.  This draws attention to the prey.  Let the motion cease and the prey often blends in with its surroundings.  

  I first noticed the tiny crab in the debris line only because it moved.  Once it froze in place, it took minutes before my eyes focused on the crab's shell even though I was only inches away.  The coloring had served the crab well.  Had I been a hungry predator, there was a high chance that I would have given up on finding the crab again.  The camouflage was just that good.  Even afterward when looking at the photograph, it took me several minutes to find the crab. Check the first picture.  Can you spot the crab?  The second picture has been cropped a good bit and, even then, the crab is pretty well camouflaged!   Critters are amazing!

Well Hidden in Plain Sight

  Living on the Bayou, I have learned one thing.  If nothing else, I have learned to watch where I step.  While it is not often that I find a snake on my walks, occasionally I will cross paths with one.  We will both hesitate long enough to give each other the "once over", as my grandmother used to say.  After making sure neither of us has plans of harming the other, we go on our merry ways.  It is a rare occasion that I will kill a snake or any critter, for that matter.

  Recently, another critter and I shared the same path.  This one was so well camouflaged that I almost missed it.  A small toad was in an area that is filled with gravel to catch the runoff from the rooftop.  The glorifed drain runoff fills with leaves and needs to be cleaned to work properly.  With all of the rains that  have been pelting the Bayou, this chore could not be postponed.  So I tackled it.  Armed with a rake and little else, I started clearing the debris from the long ditch.  Had the toad not hopped, I would have never noticed it.  The critter blended so well with its surroundings, when I photographed it, I still had trouble finding it!  

  Check the photograph!  I promise, there is a toad in there!  This was my happy find for the day.  Yep, toad frogs and snakes do, indeed, make me happy.  I am just glad that a snake did not find my little toad friend!  Maybe his camouflage works!

On A Scale of One to Ten....

  Camouflage in nature can mean the difference between life and death.  It also can mean the difference between starvation and being well nourished.  It is camouflage that keeps predators well hidden while they await their prey.  I come across all sorts of critters that meet the standards of camouflage.  There are those who are so well hidden that it is highly difficult to see them unless there is a slight movement.  These have mastered the hide and seek game.  Their coloration blends so well with their surroundings that there is no need for any other cover.  Mark and I came across a lovely snake today and it was plumb hard to see.  Had I not specifically been searching for a snake, I would have most likely walked right past the critter even though my footfall was only a few feet from the serpent.  The extremely high tide combined with heavy winds had driven the snake out of its usual habitat. Since the marshes are flooded, the poor snake was seeking a bit of drier ground.  I am sure that others were doing the same and I probably did walk past several before I found this one.  On a scale of one to ten, I give this snake a "ten".  It blends well with the mud, marsh and typical bayou mishmash of branches.  

  Our camouflage search led to another critter found in abundance here on the Bayou.  The American Green Tree Frog usually is well hidden among the green leaves of any tree or plant.  During the daytime, the frog sits quite still among the leaves and is so hard to see that many folks do not realize that they are just inches from one.  Most of the time...the frog is well hidden. Today's froggy must have failed during "Camouflage Class".  He obviously did not study well or this frog is completely colorblind!   The bright green coloring that usually helps the frog blend with green leaves did not help our friend today.  The frog chose to spend the day on my Camphor Tree sapling that is in a pot near the front door. It is an ideal place for a frog but his choice of leaves did not suit him well.  The bright green frog was perched upon an equally bright...but RED...leaf!  That poor frog stuck out like a sore thumb!  Froggy....I am sorry but on that same scale of one to ten....you only get a one!  

  Speaking of camouflage that helps critters so well, some just do not get it at all.  There are those critters that, for one reason or another, do not give a flip about hiding.  The gorgeous Great Egret had no qualms about sitting on the tiptop branches of a tree.  The bird did not try to blend with the surroundings nor did it attempt to seek any coverage.  It just perched itself high above the Bayou and sat there proudly preening itself.  The egret had no worries.  It did not flinch when a large hawk flew over nor did it seem to care that Mark and I were watching it.  No camouflage here so rating this one would be impossible!

  Natural camouflage is a fantastic thing.  I often wonder just how many unseen critters are within an arm's reach during my hikes.  

Almost too well hidden!

  Camouflage is a much needed trait among critters in the wild.  It is necessary especially among the very young.  While just babes, critters have to be able to go unseen to prevent becoming a meal for a larger critter.  It is a way of life which we humans sometimes forget.  Our young are cared for while they are tiny and not left out to fend for themselves.  (It is a good thing it is this way as I know even a lot of adults that would not fare so well if left in the wild. I cannot imagine a wee human being able to fetch food or fend off predators!)  But in the wild, a lot of critters do just that.  Mom and Dad are not around to see to the raising of their offspring. Worse, yet, is the fact that sometimes Mom and Dad become predators to their own young!  This camouflage is a grand thing indeed!  It not only hides critters from predators but also gives them the edge on catching their own prey.  When tiny, every mouthful becomes quite precious so having the ability to blend in with one's environment once again is a necessity.  

  This afternoon, though, that same helpful camouflage almost became a critter's undoing!  I was in the garden checking the progress of the tomato plants.  Not once did I survey the ground before taking a step.  Most of us do not.  Perhaps we should.  Just how many critters are literally underfoot?  I flicked a worm off the tomato plant and suddenly a movement caught my eye.  It was the slightest of movements and I wondered if perhaps I had not seen it at all.  I stared at the ground. Hmmm?  Something was there, I know!  It had to be!  Sure enough at that moment, a tiny toad took another hop.  That thing was no bigger than a minute!  It was surely smaller than a pea!  It was camouflaged well, though, perhaps too well!  I almost squished it flat!  I got down on my hands and knees to examine further and found dozens of tiny toads hopping about the garden!  The Frog Pond obviously has been a busy place!

  The coloration of the tiny toad was so in tune with the dirt that even after I saw it, my eyes would not stay focused.  I took several photographs and then had difficulty seeing the toad in the pictures!  I am glad that the tiny toad is in the garden.  There, it should find lots to eat and should be a huge help to me.  I say "good riddance" to the insects that it eats! 

Hidden Dangers!

Sometimes you just can't help but smile and go with the flow of whatever is happening. Certain occurrences are just beyond our control and to interfere is fruitless. I like birds. I feed the birds. I watch the birds. None of this makes me a "birder", I just find it relaxing to sit and watch birds of any sort dart in and out the many feeders. Needless to say, I do not like it when something maims or kills one of the birds in the yard. I know it is all a part of nature but still it is a might unsettling to find..ummm..body parts dotted around the lawn. Just as an example, I was out in my favorite chair watching the birds and enjoying the bay breeze when suddenly a hawk swooped down and grabbed one of my feathered friends! I was in shock to say the least! Feathers were flying! The little bird shrieked one last time and it was over. The hawk took its prize back to the nest to be dinner for its hatchlings. I sat there stunned. I was fattening the birds to be supper!

Then today, I intruded upon another incident in the making. Near the berry vines, a predator had camouflaged itself perfectly. Sort of hidden in plain sight. I knew it was only a matter of time before another bird was being munched. This time..as much as I knew what evil lurked..I had to smile. The camouflage work was just too good! I would not have even realized that the danger to birds lurked in the garden had it not been for two tiny flaws in the disguise. Two little, white paws were the only evidence that could be seen. Ms Put had hidden herself well. Like I said, I just couldn't help but smile. I had just told Son that the birds were reeking havoc upon the berries and that we would have to rise before daybreak if we wanted to get our share. We would also have to pick several times a day as the berries ripen in the sunshine. Then..Ms Put went into action..she would save my berries! She hid herself under the Montbretia plants. Their draping leaves provided the perfect cover for her and her black fur blended well with the shadows. If only those two little white paws did not stand out so much! They were like beacons shining in the night! I giggled. Ms Put glared at me. She seemed to say "Go, away! Can't you see that I am working here??". I giggled some more..the birds flew away..Ms Put glared again. Finally, she had enough of this game and dozed off. The birds flew back into the berry vines and

I realized it might be best for me to just let nature take its course..birds eat berries..cats chase birds. I could try to "shoo" the cat from the garden but that would mean that I had to stand watch around the clock. Ms Put is an outdoor cat. She graces us with her presence only when it suits her and then it is usually only during inclement weather. Otherwise..she is outside doing cat things..things like hunting. So..Ms Put was not shooed from the garden..she was allowed to stay and protect the berries..or take a nap!

Camouflaged!

Can you spy the Rough Green Snake in this picture? It is there looking more like a grass than a snake! It is draped across the end of the board in the center of the picture. Now do you see it?
The most perfect camouflage can be found in nature. Sometimes animals can blend so well with their surroundings that we will walk right by or even right over them and never even realize they are there. Granted it might be a tad difficult to hide something as large as a cow in my front yard but some animals and reptiles seem to blend right in with the vegetation. Case in point..today my usually very alert son walked right over a Rough Green Snake and never missed a stride. Granted these slender snakes do not pose any threat to humans, so I suppose there was no need to be alarmed at its presence, but to step right over it?? My goodness! I think the poor thing was terrified that it was going to be flattened by his shoe. With my short legs, I was probably a good ten steps behind him when I spied the lime green snake. It froze when he walked passed and stayed still as I approached. I do not understand just how it stayed so motionless as it was literally suspended in the air with only the last third of its body on the ground. Its head and most of its body was about eight inches above the ground. I stopped.. It never moved. Its beady black eyes stared at me. Kneeling down next to it, I waited to see just what it would do if I stayed near. After about five minutes of the showdown, its head started wavering back and forth. It was mimicking the motion of the tall grasses that were being gently blown by the Bay breeze. What camouflage! Not only was it the same color as the grasses, it had learned to further disguise itself with movement! I was totally captivated by the show of this beautiful snake. For a green snake, this was actually quite large. Of course, I had no way of actually truly measuring it, but judging by nearby sticks, it was approximately thirty inches long. It had obviously gotten over any fear it had of me as it had resumed its hunt for insects. It slowly twined around the grasses and up onto the underbrush. This snake brought back memories of my daughter playing with every green snake that she could catch. She would "train" them to wrap around her arm and "sit". Gently rubbing their belly up to their head she would have these snakes poking their heads straight up in the air about ten inches. After a few minutes (for us but what must have seemed like an eternity for the snake), their poor little heads would start bobbling around from sheer exhaustion. Still, I never remember the snakes trying to get away from her..I think they were as interested in this little red-headed girl as she was in them.