Yesterday, two cattle egrets and one great egret sat on the pier in the warm sunshine. They did the all too familiar "one-legged" stance and made quite the impressive sight. I was happy to see them there even though they do..umm..mess up the place somewhat. That does not bother me as a good rainstorm cleans the old pier boards rather well.
Today, the egrets returned but a few new members had joined the congregation! (For those curious, yes, a group of egrets is often referred to as a "congregation".) This time, the original trio were there but three snowy egrets had come to share the space. While my brother's pier has been the common roost for pelicans, it seems that ours is the choice of egrets. Nice!
It is not uncommon for a variety of herons and egrets to share a common resting spot but they are not gathering for any particular reason. The convenience of the place in accordance to a food supply is more likely the reason for this congregating. The birds will share a nesting ground simply due to the fact that there is safety in numbers. Egrets are vulnerable to disruptions by humans during their breeding/nesting period, however. The birds have been known to abandon nests purely due to human presence under their nest sites. The back of the Bayou used to be home to a heronry of quite some size but the building of new homes on the opposite shore disrupted the birds. Most left the area. A few have moved to a more secluded area near where the creek feeds into the Bayou far behind the Little Bayou House. This area is completely shut off from "progress" as it is surrounded by the woods of our property. It is my hope that the birds will feel safe enough there to continue their nesting. Perhaps my congregation can return to its full glory of several hundred of these elegant birds!
While the weather here would be deemed nigh on perfect for many (me, included), we are experiencing our first real "cool spell" of the season. The temperatures are to dip down as low as 42 this week! This makes me happy and also gives me hope that we will actually have a winter this year. We need one. The persimmon seeds have predicted one. I am anxiously awaiting one. The critters on the other hand, may not be on pin and needles with excitement of such weather. While most do have fur or feathers, that cold air can make life a bit miserable for the critters of the Bayou. It is a tad hard to get warm when you live in the marsh.
This afternoon while out taking the dog for a hike, three birds rested on the pier. One was a Great Egret while the other two appeared to be Cattle Egrets. It was hard to tell at the distance from where I stood. I eased nearer trying to get a positive identification but with the first step on the pier, Mr. PJ, the dog, got excited. He trotted down the pier as per our usual custom. The first thought was to call him back but, hey, they were only birds and he was fully enjoying himself.
What I did notice about the birds was that they were all doing the one legged stance. Most large wading birds like the herons and egrets do this while resting. No, contrary to what Darling Daughter told me one time....the birds are not pretending to be flamingos! The idea behind it is that the birds are conserving body heat. With their long, thin legs, a lot of body warmth will be lost if both legs are exposed. If one is kept tucked up in the feathers, the bird stays warmer. Periodically, the bird will switch legs.
The north wind today was already chilly enough to cause the birds a bit of discomfort. Their uni-pedal stance was serving them well but, if Old Man Winter does throw us a nice bit of frigid weather this year, the birds better think of finding a place with a bit more shelter than what the pier offers! That north wind barrels down the pier something fierce!
