Patience Is Everything

   Patience is a virtue that very few of us have obtained or, if we ever had it, we have forgotten how to use it.  The world is caught up in a rat race with people demanding everything they want, how they want and when they want.  It is mindboggling, to say the least.  Thankfully down here on the Bayou, things are different.  When you pull yourself out of that rat race, you start to enjoy life as it is and not how others think it should be.  Here, patience is not only a virtue, it is everything.  I have relearned that over the years in so many ways.  Patience is everything.

  This morning before the others were awake, I did my usual walk to the pier.  Since I was alone (even the cat stayed in the warm bed), I had the place to myself.  I sat in the middle near the wallowed out cut where we usually moor the old boat.  Now that it was out at the end of the pier, the shallows were filled with bull minnows and a lone Clapper Rail.  This bird is a friend that will come out to visit if I linger long.  The bird and I had an ideal "conversation" even though it was a bit one-sided.  I talked to the bird.  The bird ate bull minnows. 

  After a good twenty minutes of this, I heard the whirring of wings and, to my surprise, 5 Snowy Egrets came into the same cut.  There, not 10 feet from me, were the most beautiful birds!  I was almost afraid to breathe lest I frighten them!  After a bit, I slightly shifted my position so I could move the camera to their angle.  The birds did not fret.  After dozens upon dozens of photographs, I started gently talking to these fine friends.  This did not seem to bother them, either!  In fact, one flew up on the pier near me.  Goodness!  For the next hour, I sat on the pier watching the egrets.  I sat even though my legs were cramping from the cold pier.  I sat even though my fingers felt like ice.  I sat even though the morning was slowly slipping away and I needed to be doing chores.  I sat.  Patiently, I sat so as to not frighten the birds.

  After nearly 40 minutes (and 155 photographs), the birds decided it was time to fly to the back of the Bayou.  I was cold and achy but my patience had been truly rewarded.  Patience is a virtue.  Patience is everything.

Starting a Family!

  Early this morning, the water beckoned and I heeded its call.   Usually when I have this urge, it is because I feel there is a reason.  Either a spectacular sunrise is to occur or some of my critter friends are out and about.  This morning, the rails were busying themselves on the mudflats.  More oft than not, only the little female is foraging for breakfast but, this morning, the happy, little couple were working together.  The pair were cornering bull minnows in tiny pools where they could scoop up their breakfast with ease.  This is the pair that nests just a few feet from the pier.  Each nesting, they bring out their little ones to meet me which is a highlight of the summer for me!

  With rails, the male does most of the work building the nest after the female chooses the site.  The nest is built high enough above the water to assure that it stays dry but low enough to be hidden from most predators.  The male will set to work on the marsh mats that have accumulated by high tides.  He will build a small bowl-shaped nest with a ramp as an entrance.  Then, he builds a dome over this leaving just enough opening so the birds can easily enter. He will continue to add to the "house" even after the eggs are laid.   His ladylove will lay anywhere from two to sixteen eggs before incubating them.  It is not unheard of for her to incubate the eggs during the day and the male to take over for the night. 

  Our little chicks will hatch in about three weeks and leave the nest the same day.  They will be covered with black down which helps to hide them from hawks flying above the marsh.  Both parents will feed the little ones and teach them to forage on their own.  Little Mama will usually have two clutches each breeding season but can have a third if the weather permits.

The Joke Was On Me!

  With all of the warm weather we have had lately, birds are all starting to nest.  This is early...far too early...as the little ones will have to endure a bit of cold weather if hatched.  Still, it has happened before and it all turned out fine.  Mother Nature has this matter under control without interference from us.  Still, I fret and worry about things like this simply because I have grown attached to the critters of the Bayou and surrounding swamp.  These are my friends!  

  Once again, my hike around the property took me along the shoreline back to the depths of the swamp.  A drizzly rain made it a bit miserable but it was a lot better out than going stir-crazy inside.  There are several old oak trees near or even in the marsh that have massive limbs that dip down into the mud.  This creates sort of a "secret room" that many critters use to their advantage.  The overhang of limbs can be a place of protection and the mudflats beneath supply a quick source of food.  On my strolls, it is my habit to take a quick peek into these "rooms".  There is always something new there.  A raccoon may be feasting on the fiddler crabs, a young heron may be stalking the mudflats or a screech owl may be whiling away the daytime hours on one of the limbs.  These are all points of interest to someone keeping a watchful eye on the Bayou. 

Definitely NOT a Clapper Rail egg!  

  This morning, I was taken aback by the sight of an egg plopped right in the middle of the "room" beneath the oak.  Surely, that was not an egg!  I pushed a bit further under the branches only to realize that, yes, it was definitely an egg.  Judging by the size and by the color, it appeared to be the clapper rail's egg.  The egg was a buff color with darker blotches and a bit smaller than a hen's egg.  I did have reservations about that call since this egg seemed to be a tad yellow but that was the nearest I could think at the moment.  Finding the egg caused great concern.  Had the rail already made a nest, laid an egg and had that egg stolen?  Had she not created the nesting site but had the urge to lay that egg already and just abandoned it?  Was I imagining things?  Ok, curiosity got the best of me.  Since there was no way that this egg could hatch in the cold mud and there was no bird in sight, I pushed further under the old oak.  Mud sucked at my shoes and a stench of good, old Bayou mud wafted upward with each step.  Yes, indeed, I was crazy for even attempting this jaunt but the "Mystery of the Egg" was just too much!

  After traipsing into the sloppy mud all-the-while clinging to the limbs above and hoping that a cottonmouth was not in the vicinity, I got my answer.  I felt a tad foolish.  When I reached down for the egg, it dawned on me that this thing did not "feel" right.  Yup!  I had been duped.  The egg was a plastic egg that had obviously been washed in with the tide.  The egg was old but still intact.  The color was faded, the blotches were stains and the inside was filled with mud!  Some day, I will learn to leave well enough alone. Now...let me go see if I can de-mud my shoes!

Give Me Critter Friends...

  It is not that I have anything against people as friends but I do find that I get along much better with animals.  Critters do not participate in unnecessary drama.  They are nonjudgmental and do not just pretend to be your friend.   Either they like you or they do not.  Critters do not care if you wear outlandish clothing, have blue hair or dance to the beat of a different drummer as long as you do not beat that drum too loudly.  It is plain and simple.   If you are nice to them, chances are, they will be nice to you...or let you know rather quickly and clearly that they have no desire to be chummy.  I like that.  I have learned a lot from my critter friends and try to treat my people friends in a likewise manner.  I only wish other folks did the same.  

  One of my favorite friends on the Bayou lives deep in the marsh.  A little mama Clapper Rail makes her home near the pier and nests there each summer just like her mama did before her.  I watched this little one grow up to be the beauty she is today.  Her mama brought the entire brood of five chicks out to meet me when they were about a week old.  Since the older female passed, this one has taken over the nesting area.  She is just as sweet as her mother and brings her chicks out at an early age.  Like her mother before her, she has no fear of me.  

  Clapper Rails are about the size of a small chicken which gives them their common names.  Sometimes called Marsh Chickens or Marsh Hens, they do, indeed, share a strong resemblance.  Clapper Rails have one of the most recognizable calls of all marsh birds.  Theirs is a series of very loud "keks" which start off loudly then taper.  A breeding pair will, at times, blend their calls in what is appropriately called a duet.  The duets are often heard in the evening just before dark as the birds communicate with each other.  Clapper Rails are territorial especially when it comes to their nesting site.  Both will defend their nest rather aggressively but, considering the nest is in the marsh, that is to be expected.  Any number of predators also lurk there.

  This morning, the rail came out to visit.  She busied herself catching breakfast just a few feet from where I sat.  She was fully aware of my presence but was not concerned.  She knew she was with a friend.  She was not there to judge, to belittle or gather gossip.  She was there to have breakfast and enjoy a bit of company.  I loved every minute of our time together. 

Three At Once!

  This morning's hike around the hillside proved to be quite interesting indeed!  While the initial hike turned up nothing of interest other than a few birds, a couple of noisy squirrels and a feral cat, the return trek caused me a bit of excitement.  On a whim, I returned to the pier where the hikes always begin.  On the first visit, all was quiet.  Nary a critter could be seen.  Not even the pelicans were hanging around the pier as they usually do.  It was almost too quiet!  The return visit was a bit more happy.  Three birds were feeding on the mudflats.  While three birds may not seem to be earth-shaking news, it was the fact that they were three different types of birds that thrilled me.  Two rails and a small heron were stalking minnows that were stranded by the low tide.  Still. two rails and a heron would not thrill most folks but it did me.

  The heron was a little Green Heron.  This bird is one of the smartest birds on the Bayou.  The bird actually fishes for its breakfast.  The Green Heron will catch a minnow, fiddler crab or even just a small piece of debris and use it as bait.  When minnows gather around the seemingly innocuous feast, the bird catches its fill.  The heron will often toss the bait up and down to attract minnows.  That is one intelligent bird!

  Of the other two, one was a Virginia Rail.  This is one of the smallest rails.  They are much like other rails as they are secretive birds that prefer life in the marshes.  Virginia Rails have special feathers that resist wear and tear from the marsh grass.  The males build several "dummy" nests before the hen settles on one for nesting.  These nests sit on built up platforms of marsh grass that protect them from flooding in high tide. The nests are camouflaged to keep them from being raided from above. The chicks are covered with soft black down until their true feathers come in.  As is the habit of most rails, the chicks are fed by both parents until age of one week.  Then the brood is divided in half.  Each parent will then take full care of their half of the brood.

  The other rail, was a Clapper Rail.  The Clapper Rail is a large rail that can more often be heard than seen.  The clattering calls echo through the Bayou as the rails call to their mates or little ones.  Clapper Rails nest in the marsh and the eggs are often covered by high tides.  Even so, the eggs are still capable of hatching.  Sometimes after the eggs hatch, the parent birds will build a temporary floating nest to hold their brood. The Clapper Rail is a secretive bird that would rather hide in the marshes than be out in the open mudflats.  

  While the finding of three birds may fail to be exciting to most folks, I was exhilarated with the find. My hike ended with a twenty minute watching of these birds.  All three benefited from the Green Heron's fishing skills and each filled their bellies with minnows.  The hike can be considered a success!

 

A Little Tot in a Wild Place

  Mothers in the wild have to be of a strong type.  Critter moms never get to rest as they have to be on constant watch for predators.  Their little ones are desired meals for any critter a mite larger.  It seems that bird moms are even more stressed than other animals.  A nest of eggs is an invitation to some critters and baby birds are more or less helpless. Even when the little tykes start moving about a bit, they are still in danger of being eaten.  It is a wild world out there for most little critters.

  My sweet Clapper Rail made her nest on the marsh mats that were washed in during one particularly high tide.  The mats were shoved well up under the marsh alders which provided a bit of shelter but also left her a bit vulnerable to snakes.  They, too, love these low-hanging branches.  Of her nest of 6 to 10 eggs, only one tot lived.  I am afraid that the water snakes dined upon the other wee babes.  The surviving chick was on the outer marsh mats today.  While he scampered about, his mom kept a watchful eye.  When she saw me approaching, she called a couple of low clucks to let her little one know to be wary.  The tyke had learned his lessons well and dove to a clump of grass.  There he sat as still as a church mouse while Mama hustled and bustled in the marsh about ten feet from him.  She wanted all eyes on her and none searching for her child.

  I watched for a bit just to see if the little tyke would grow weary or curious and come out of its hiding spot.  As long as Mama kept clucking, Little Bit sat tight.  It had to be a scary time for the little one even though I would never harm the birds.  After a bit, I went up the hill and left the rails to scamper about the mats.  Mama Rail had a big job to do just to protect this little one and the wild world out there was not going to help her one bit.  She was on her own.  I sure hope the little tyke survives.

All It Takes Is One Cluck

  During our evening walk about the hillside, Mark and I came across the cutest sight. I only wish that I had been quicker with the camera as to record this vision would have been delightful.  Mama Rail had her little chicks out on the marsh mats that had washed in with the recent storm. The little black balls of fluff were scampering about the mats like children do.  Mama rested while the little ones played.  As soon as Mark and I stepped on the pier, I heard "Tut, tut" and the tiny birds scampered for cover under the overhanging salt myrtle bushes.  They listened well to Mama and sought safety under the branches.  I hope they found it. 

  These were the same mats that, as recently as last week, were the sunning spots for two nice sized water snakes.  Those two three feet long snakes had also slithered up under the salt myrtle bushes.  It seems that the cover provided by the shrubs and the large oak trees is home to a myriad of critters.  I just hope that Mama Rail is able to protect her babies from the snakes.  She needn't have worried about the humans on the pier.  We would have never harmed her or her little ones.

Watching the Critters

  Sometimes critters are better at being neighborly than people are.  Not that I have any problems whatsoever with my neighbors as I have the best but critters seem to just get along when need be.  It is a rare animal that kills for the sake of killing. Yes, they do have a tendency to see everything as a food source but even that can be overcome at times.

  Now while I realize that shorebirds do not usually go around eating each other, it surprises me how they can work together for the good of all.  Herons and egrets are great at cooperating during feeding time.  I watched two egrets, a Great Egret and a Snowy Egret, while they worked the mudflats to find breakfast.  Tiny bull minnows were darting about in the shallows but it took the two birds working together to catch a fine feast. The Great White Egret would stand casting a shadow on the waters while the Snowy shuffled its feet to stir up the mud.  The minnows would then try to get to clearer water and both birds would snatch them in swift jabs.  Alongside of the two larger birds, a small rail waded snatching her share of fiddler crabs that raced to get away from all of the commotion.  This was not an accidental meeting of the minds. These three birds are on the flats with every low tide.  They work together as a team and all three eat well as a result.

   I am constantly hearing the phrase "that person is no better than an animal" when folks are discussing some recent crime spree. This irks me as I do not feel this is accurate.  Seeing how humans seem to be the most aggravating and unruly of all species, it might be a good idea if we all took lessons from the critters.  Perhaps if more folks took the time to truly sit and watch the critters around them, they would strive to be more "neighborly".

     It is calming to be out in nature, Folks!  It is good for you.   Plus, you might just learn a thing or two if you do watch the critters....any critters.

Mama Rail surprises me!

  I head to the pier most every day.  It seems as if that is the one place that I can fully relax and find an inner peace.  The water calls to me so I go.  I watch the critters that also find life there.  Both in the water and along the shoreline, I find critters that I call my friends.  On a few rare occasions, some of the critters actually seem to reciprocate the feelings.  We share a bond and that bond totally revolves around the Bayou.  

  This morning, an old friend greeted me on the walk up the pier.  Mark called my attention to a small Rail that was scampering across the mudflats.  She was hunting breakfast on this early morn.  There is nothing unusual about seeing the rail except this time she seemed a bit more wary than most mornings.  It did not take long to realize the cause of her edginess.  She had brought her brood of youngsters out from the nest in the marsh.  Mama Rail was teaching her babies the fine art of scavenging the mudflats for a meal.  Fiddler Crabs and Bull Minnows crowd this small area and are easy pickings for the Rails and other shorebirds.  This morning, however, the flats were vacant except for the little family.  

  Mark took Ms. Ez, the Bayou Dog, up the hill so I could sit and watch the Rails in peace.  Ms. Ez usually sits patiently beside me during times like this but with Mark around, she is a bit antsy.  She thinks he is only there to play with her and watching the marsh birds is too quiet for her when he is here.  As they went up the hill, I sat and communed with the birds. Mama Rail brought the brood back out of the marsh where they had scampered to be safe from the big, lumbering dog.  Although Ms. Ez would never harm a bird, she is a bit overbearing at times. Mama Rail was just being a mama by protecting her little ones.   Now, however, she felt at ease and brought them out for me to see. What a fine bunch of youngsters!

  Clapper Rails are funny birds.  They are small compared to most shorebirds but have huge personalities!  They are normally quite secretive birds and are rarely seen yet if one feels safe, they come out into the open.  Mama Rail is so used to my presence that she often never even notices when I am around.  Each year, she proudly brings her brood out for my inspection.  I talk with her and tell her what fine bunch of kids she has.  Sometimes I think she understands. She will tilt her head to one side to stare at me while I brag on her family.  The little ones happily skitter across the mudflats and play Hide and Seek in the marshes.  My little friend's visit made my morning!  Her sharing her brood with me was the highlight of my day!

No need for alarm!

This morning, I had to bail out the boat once again.  The overnight rains did a fine job of filling it up!  While sitting in the boat dumping water over the side, I saw a slight movement to my left.  Since I was literally sitting in the marsh, I was a bit concerned that this might be some critter that would jump in the boat with me!  Not that I would have minded a visit from an otter or even a nutria but who knows what else might be roaming around in the muck and mire?!  I stared at the marsh a bit all the while bailing.  I figured if I stopped my sloshing, the critter would surely notice and not venture out of the reeds.

I almost giggled aloud when I realized that I had no need for concern.  My critter was none other than the small Rail.  My tiny bird friend was merely out finding breakfast this early morn.  I watched as she lightly hopped over the mudflats chasing the bull minnows.  Food was scarce this morning as most of the minnows had left the area.  Still she hunted.

I started thinking about my little friend and how in a few months she will bring her little ones out for me to view.  For the past few years, she has brought her brood out to show me.  I feel honored when she does this and have noticed that they keep close watch on their mom.  One flick of that bright white tail and they scurry to hide in the marsh.  Normally she has no problem with me or Ms. Ez being there but let someone else stride upon the pier and she warns her babies to take cover!  I do not know why she feels so safe around me or the dog but I am glad she does!  This gives me the opportunity to photograph the cute black fluffballs of chicks!  Today, however, I thought about how that white tail is used as a warning signal by a few other animals as well.  Both the deer and the rabbits around the Bayou use their tails as flags to alert their young of impending danger.  Hmmm...I wonder if this is some universal alarm system among animals?

This morning, however, there was no call for alarm.  All was quiet on the Bayou.  Mama Rail could feed without worry.

Hidden Treasures!

Sometimes if you are not careful, treasure can go unnoticed.  I try to be most observant when I am out wandering about hillside and down near the Bayou as you just never know what you might see.  Once in a while a find might not prove to pleasant..a Cottonmouth moccasin or a Snapping Turtle might be a nasty find if you are not careful. Though these are not pleasant to find, they are treasures in their own right as they do help the balance of nature in the Bayou.  I usually have no problem with them and just tend to steer clear.  Both of these can be quite easy to notice if you are familiar with their habits and also their odors.  Both emit a strong pungent smell not unlike low tide or mud! So it pays to not only watch and listen to your surroundings but also smell what is around you!  This has come in handy a number of times for me.

Today, however, the find was a pleasant one!  While heading off the pier toward the Little Bayou House, I noticed a slight movement in the marsh.  I froze, not in fear but because I wanted to see what was stirring around in the grass.  After a moment of stillness, my friend came out in the open.  An immature Clapper Rail wandered out to catch its supper from the marsh edge.  I watched for a bit.  It amazed me just how well this bird could blend in with the surrounding marsh.  The feet and beak could have easily been mistaken for the grass itself while the coloring of its feathers was a nigh perfect match.  Had I not caught a glimpse of the movement, I might not have even realized the bird was there.

This is one of the hatchlings from this year's brood.  It is still quite small but is entirely able to be on its own.  The young Clapper Rail did well catching the bull-minnows that were trapped in the tidepools and it snatched up a few grasshoppers from the marsh.  I was surprised that once it got used to my presence, it was not at all skittish. I suppose most of the shorebirds are accustomed to my wanderings. After a good half hour of watching the bird, I stood to continue my trek.  The little bird looked at me once and continued its search for food.  Goodnight, Little Bird....hide among the reeds and be safe during the night!

Competing for Breakfast!

Sometimes things occur on the Bayou that just leave you in awe of nature.  The other morning, I was out bright and early.  This was one of the few times that I had left the dogs inside as I wandered down to the pier.  I knew there were two baby rabbits in a nest under a log near the marsh and had hoped to avoid any confrontations between dogs and bunnies.  It bothers me a good bit to see Ezzy or Sunny take out after the little ones.  As I neared the edge of the pier, the bunnies were nowhere to be seen...hmmmm..strange..they are usually out before sunup.  I eased onto the pier and then noticed the little Clapper Rail.  She is always a bit skittish but that morning, she seemed downright edgy.  I was just getting an ominous feeling when I spied the trouble.

Within just a few feet of the Rail, a snake slithered onto the mudflat.  At first, the snake startled me!  Then after getting a better look, I realized that it was my little friendly Garter Snake.  The Rail, nor I, had any worries about this snake!  Although she remained wary, the Clapper Rail soon started feeding on the bull minnows that were trapped in the tide pool.  She even got brave enough to be within a few feet of the snake.  The Garter Snake, however, was fearless!  It caught several minnows and then fed upon some of the Fiddler Crabs that were scuttling along the mudflats. The bird probably could have eaten this snake for breakfast had it taken a notion to do so but instead just kept a wary eye on it.  Perhaps, the Rail had a run-in with a larger snake or perhaps this one even had gulped down some of the bird's hatchlings.

I watched the pair as they shared the territory.  Each hunting its breakfast..each very aware of the other's presence but each also respectful enough to keep its distance from the other.  The Clapper Rail eats mostly aquatic animals such as minnows, small fish, shrimp and crabs.  It occasionally will dine upon insects that it finds in the marsh but, more oft than not, will douse those insects in the water before eating them.  The Garter Snake, on the other hand, will eat anything that it can catch!  Worms, insects, smaller snakes, minnows, baby birds, small rodents, frogs, leeches and anything else it can overpower make up its diet!  The bird's and snake's dining habits lapped over into one another's territory that early morning.  It was quite the experience to watch two distinct "could be" nemeses vie for life-giving nourishment.  That morning, life was good for both. They ate well and did not have to compete for breakfast.  Life was good for me, too, as I had the opportunity to be enthralled once again by my Bayou friends.

A Little Help for my Friends!

Lately, I have been writing a good bit about my critter friends here on the Bayou. I have received a lot of flak about the possibility that I am making "pets" out of these animals and that would not be healthy for them. Some folks seem to think that by hand-feeding the birds, raccoons and possums, I am depriving them of their innate ability to hunt or scavenge their own food. By these folks determination, the critters will become lazy and dependent on my handouts and will soon die. I believe differently.

I do feed a lot of the animals on the Bayou. They make me happy. I do not, however, look upon them as pets as I have far too many of those already. The wild animals are just that..wild..but for some reason seem to see me as one of them. They do not fear me nor do I fear them. We have a mutual trusting relationship. I feed them whenever I get the chance or whenever they seem to be hungry but that is as far as it goes.

The newest of my friends is a Clapper Rail. A couple of mornings ago, I headed to the pier sans Ezzy, the dog. She had decided that her warm bed was much more comfortable than a cold, wet pier. As I walked down the board path to the pier, I noticed a largish bird fishing in the small washout place near the base of the pier. The bird was busy trying to catch breakfast in the before dawn darkness. Minnows were scarce though as the cold weather had driven them to deeper water. Thinking that the bird would surely scurry off into the marsh as I neared, I made no effort to hide my footsteps. Instead of darting into the reeds, the bird just stared at me when I stepped up onto the pier. After getting directly above the bird, I sat down on the pier to watch. Oh, how many problems the poor bird was having. It would swish its beak back and forth in the water trying to scare up breakfast but this seemed to be futile.

After watching a bit, I rose and headed to the end of the pier. Here there was a bit more water and small mullet were running in schools. A thought hit me..I could supply the Rail with breakfast! A few tiny mullet were caught in the net and then, camera in one hand and squiggly mullet in the other, I headed back to see if the Rail would still be there. Sure enough, the bird was right where I had left it. The first mullet was tossed to the bird..a distance of about five feet. Breakfast was served!

By the time I had just one mullet left, the Clapper Rail had come with arm's reach. I held the last fish out to it and sure enough...SNATCH! The bird took its meal from my hand! It seemed to sense that minnow was the last. The Rail looked at me, did a funny little shuffle with its feet and darted into the marsh grass.

A few days later, the bird was back in the same place. I, again, sat on the pier and talked to my friend. Following the same idea as before, I tried to catch a few mullet but none could be found. I had to go back and tell my friend that breakfast would be bleak that morning. After showing it that I had empty hands, the Rail slipped into the marsh chattering all the while. It was chastising me for my poor attempts at fishing. I headed to the house to raid the freezer of a few shrimp. I thought perhaps I could make amends but when I returned to the spot..no bird. It had gone elsewhere in search of a meal.

I am sure that soon the Clapper Rail will visit again. Maybe then, I will have better luck at fishing and can share my catch. As you can see, I have no qualms about feeding my Bayou friends as I do not think it harms them one bit. Most likely, even with the folks trying to find fault with this activity, I will continue to help my friends survive the winter months.

Getting down to brass tacks!

Being on the Bayou gives me the opportunity to view a lot of things that city-folk call "Nature". To me..these things (when referring to the fauna of the area) are more like neighbors. The critters here become my friends..we share a special bond of survival. You can learn a lot from animals. I have come to the point where I not only see the creature itself but I watch it..I learn from it. Most of the animals on the Bayou have this survival thing down pat..they know how to find food even during the bleakest of times..they can locate fresh water during the worst droughts and have an uncanny knack when seeking shelter from the elements. On the other hand, I think most humans would not fare so well. Years ago, it was understood that one needed to learn a few basic survival skills. That is a thing of the past now with all of the so-called modern conveniences. If it ever came down to brass tacks..not many would be able to cope.

Today's subject of observation? A young Rail. A young Clapper Rail by the looks of it..I could be mistaken as most of the Rails here look similar when they are so immature. This one was not one bit afraid of me as I sat on the pier just a few feet from where it came out of the marsh. It was well aware of my presence but still hunted for its supper. I thought "Now this will be a tough job for the little bird." But it proved me wrong as it soon had its first course. The young bird had that fishing job under control! It waded into the tidepool and stopped..and stood dead still in about two inches of water. It cocked its head to one side and then made a quick plunge. Its beak was a deadly weapon! The prey was flung far enough onto the mudflat that an easy escape was impossible. Still the bird fished. After flinging several bull minnows onto the mud, it finally caught a baby crab. This, too, was hurled far up onto the mud but the Rail hurried after it. It knew that the crab would make a hasty retreat for the water. With three bull minnows still flopping around on the mud, the young Rail stabbed at the crab again and again. It was so quick that the crab had no time to use its claws nor escape. Soon the bird gobbled it down and eyed the bull minnows. Within a matter of minutes, supper was caught and eaten. The bird had its fill! Now its attention turned to me. It almost seemed to show-off a bit as it flapped its wings, ruffled its feathers and strutted about a bit. I think it was trying to tell me that it could take care of itself.

Now about that phrase.."down to brass tacks". This, like so many phrases, are said on a daily basis by most of us but does anyone know to what it really refers? I ponder these things. After a bit of research, I have come to the conclusion in my mind that it could be one of two things..take your choice. The first being a reference to the actual brass tacks used in the upholstery of a chair. The fine fabrics were, at one time, attached with real brass tacks..not the wimpy, little things used today. These tacks were usually covered from sight with gimp, an ornamental, flat, braided cording. If a person wanted to reupholster a piece of furniture, he had to get down to the brass tacks. The second explanation that I found was that the brass tacks referred again to actual tacks. This time in a shop that sold fabrics and trims. To save time measuring yardage, tacks were nailed into the counter at one foot intervals. The shopowner could then just use these to measure the length of fabric or trim without having to use a measure stick each time. The shopowner could be exact in his measurements by getting the fabric down to the brass tacks. This saying has been around for sometime and I am sure there are many other explanations but these are my two favorites!