Is It Here?

  After our week long bit of bad weather, it seems that spring has made an appearance here on the Bayou.  The temperatures reached the high 70's today with plenty of sunshine and a charming breeze.  Some would say this was the perfect day...and I am not one to disagree with that proclamation.  About mid-afternoon, I meandered out to the gardens and was pleasantly surprised to see those reluctant squash seeds sprouting. Oh, happy day!  Then on to the greenhouse where I found things not as delightful.  The wind had blown rain up under the roof and soaked my box of seeds.  The packets were deteriorating causing all of the seeds to be mixed with some even starting to sprout already!  Well, I was not going to toss perfectly good seeds even if they were in one big wad.  A trench was dug alongside of the garden fence and the entire lot was strewn into it.  There is absolutely no telling just what will decide to grow out of this mess but at least I feel as if I tried.  Pumpkins, peas, squash, basil, zinnias, beans, watermelons and gourds might all fill the garden with goodness...or not.

  Disgusted with my feeble efforts at gardening, I headed to the pier. Here things were different! A good number of ducks were amassing on the waters.  Yep, spring must be here.  These were the large Canvasback Ducks that migrate here from parts unknown.  They spend their winters with us and then once the weather warms, they gather for that long flight back home.  I will be sad to see them leave.  Our bay seems a bit empty without the ducks from around the country.

  The long flight that these ducks face will be covered in a remarkably short time.  Canvasbacks are some of the fastest flying ducks and can reach speeds up to 70mph.  They have been known to fly for eight to nine hours before stopping for a break.  That should put them home (depending on where they are going) in a day or two.  My goodness!  I hope they are fully rested and have eaten well before they start their long flight!  Goodbye, my friends! I will await for your visit come late next fall!

A Safe Haven for Ducks!

  Stormy days are good for some things!  While on their migration southward, a good storm will usually entice ducks to make a stop in the Bayou.  Here, they can catch a rest while filling their bellies with the abundant little mullet.  If we are lucky, the birds will stay for the entire winter.  Their presence makes me happy as it gives me a new subject to photograph.  Ducks are always likable candidates for a camera shoot.

  Between rain storms today, Son and I would make mad dashes to the pier to check on the old skiff.  We received over five inches of rain last night and probably another inch today.  While on the pier, it was easy to spot the newcomers in the Bay.  A string of ducks spanned the entire width of the small inlet.  Thousands of ducks were busy preening and feeding.  I am sure that most will journey on their way once the weather permits but since the weatherman is calling for tough storms all this week, we will just have to wait and see.  Perhaps the ducks will take a liking to their temporary home and stay a while.

  Most of the ducks in the Bay, today, appeared to be Canvasbacks. These ducks will not be feeding heavily on the little mullet as they prefer a more plant-based diets.  Throw in a few insects and maybe some crustaceans and the Canvasbacks are happy.  The birds filter seeds and other plant material from the mud with their bills.  While this is good in an area like the Bayou, in places where hunters frequent, the birds are prone to lead poisoning from shot that have settled to the bottom.  Poor ducks do not have a chance!  If the shots do not kill them by hitting them, they kill the bird when it is ingested.  At least here, the ducks are safe.

  This reminds me of years ago when Pop and Granddad used to hunt ducks.  They would carefully hide down near the marsh waiting for the ducks to fly into the Bayou and then shoot a few for supper.  This was not going to happen while Grandmother was at home!  She would take a pie pan of birdseed down to the pier.  Once there, she would proceed to "feed" the ducks all the while banging on that pie pan and yelling "Here duck, duck, duck!  Here duck, duck, duck!"  Needless to say, Pop and Granddaddy did not shoot too many ducks.  I will have to keep Grandmother's method in mind if any duck hunters dare try to shoot my fine feathered friends.

Canvas Backs and Mud Dogs!

On the Bay this morning, there were ducks. Lots of ducks! I think the recent cold spell brought a lot of them in to spend their winter in the protected area of the bayous. That and my cousin sets out a delightful buffet for them each day. Today's ducks were Canvasbacks. This is a rather large duck that at first glance seems to have been put together by someone with a sense of humor. They have a very pale gray (almost white) body with a black chest and tail. Then to top it all off, they have a reddish brown head! Quite the paint job on these fellows! I found out something that I thought was a bit strange about these ducks..they are prone to lead poisoning. It seems that they filter seeds from the mud as a way of eating and in doing this they ingest a lot of lead shot from hunters. After eating enough of the shot, it causes lead poisoning that kills the bird. It seems as if the hunter kills a lot of birds without even realizing the damage being done. Hmmm..that is a thought that needs pondering. Perhaps something besides lead shot should be required for hunters. At least if the bird is hit by a bullet, it is used for food whereas if it dies from lead poisoning..a life has been wasted. Just a thought there.... In this raft there was quite a number of ducks but they stayed a good bit away from the pier. They don't seem to be as curious about me as the Hooded Mergansers. Still it was good to see so many of them.

After photographing the Canvasbacks as best I could, I wondered where in the world Ez, the dog, disappeared. She usually stays relatively close to me. I called for her. Suddenly, her head popped up above the marsh grass! She was nosing around in the mud for something..I am still not sure just what..but she was so proud of herself. My mud dog! She had mud spatters all over her head! I had to laugh at her in spite of the fact that I now had to wash a dog! In this cold weather that was not going to be fun..for me or for her! Sometimes I wonder about the sanity of this animal!