It saddens me to find so many critters hurt around the Bayou and, more oft than not, this pain is caused by humans. It seems as if people have no respect for wild animals. I admit that most of the time, the injuries are not intentional but are due to gross neglect of the environment. Critters have every right to live a peaceful life free from our garbage cluttering up their world. It is not uncommon for people to "clean" their houses but then throw everything in the dump...or in this case, in the water. Critters have no idea what can cause harm to them and will regularly visit areas where people toss things...yes, even the dump. They ingest, become ensnared or simply get too close to things that have been discarded. People! Use commonsense. Stop tossing your junk in the critters' living spaces!
This morning as I was out walking the old dog, I noticed a friend in need. A pelican was resting on the pier. The bird did not look well. Something seemed off by just the way the bird was sitting. Knowing that I could not venture down on the pier with the old dog in tow, I sadly turned away and headed back up the hillside. Mr. PJ came first. The bird would have to wait.
Later, Mark and I eased our way down the pier to where the pelican was still sitting. About thirty feet from the bird, Mark stopped and let me try to slip up to the bird. We figured the pelican would be more at ease with just one human approaching. I was able to get within about five feet from the bird before it became jittery. There was definitely something lodged in its throat and from the appearance of it, I would venture a guess that it was fishing gear of some sort. There was definitely a fishing line dangling from the bird's bill. Poor baby! I needed to get to him so I could help!
Even though I spent a good bit of time talking with the bird and letting it get used to my presence, I could not get near enough to help. The bird did seem to be almost asking for help as it looked at me with the saddest eyes. Tomorrow, I will try again. Perhaps if I can coax it near to me, I can dislodge whatever the poor bird has caught in its throat. Otherwise, it will surely die a slow and painful death. I did contact my cousin who has an amazing knack for taming wild animals. She said that in the morning, she will walk the marsh hunting for our friend. Hopefully between the two of us, we can save this majestic creature. Now, if I could only knock some sense into ignorant people who do not properly dispose of their junk!!!
Ok, so I am usually pretty tolerant of people. (Notice that I did not say folks here. Folks do not bother me. People do.) I can accept their opinions. I can deal with their quirkiness. I am usually ok with whatever people choose to do as long as it does not affect me. You do your thing. I do mine. We get along fine. BUT....but occasionally, people irk me to no end and I have to call them on the error of their ways...even if it is a public plea that falls on deaf ears. I will have said my piece and then I let it go. This post is one of those public pleas.
The other day, Mark and I were trying to catch some hardhead catfish to use as crab bait. There is this unsaid rule about the Bayou that we do not kill anything that we cannot use is some way. The catfish are considered to be "trash" or "nuisance" fish by most folks but I still insist that they have a right to live...unless, of course, we use them for something. In this case, if you want to catch crabs, you need bait and it seems that crabs have a penchant for catfish. So, catfish are caught, cut and used in the crab pots. If you recall, I recently had a rant about someone putting a fish clip through the gills and out the mouth of a catfish then released it. The poor catfish was suffering so much with that clip attached to it that Mark worked diligently to remove the clip without hurting the fish any more than it already was. The fish was then released as we figured it had already suffered far more than it should have. But, another catfish brings today's rant. This one was being cut for crab bait when Mark realized that it stomach held something a tad strange. Something hard and blue was embedded in the fish's gut. He removed the object to find that the catfish had swallowed a beer bottle cap. That cap would have created just as many problems as the aforementioned clip. The fish could not digest food and pass any excrement due to the beer cap causing a blockage. The fish suffered. Yes, before someone throws it at me that we killed the fish, it is far more humane to kill things instantly to be used as food or, in our case, to catch food than it is to do something stupid that causes suffering. The blockage would have caused a slow, painful death.
Now, people! Use a bit of commonsense! Why pollute the waters with any objects such as this??? These are the same waters that you fish in, boat on and swim in so why would you toss your trash overboard? Are you that stupid that you cannot understand what you are doing? Sure, this was one beer bottle cap but it caused suffering. And, my (not) friends, you are probably one of the whiners that complains about the waters of the Gulf Coast being polluted yet you find it ok to toss your trash overboard. Not so smart. So...just don't. It is the law to have a covered container with you to hold your trash so it can be disposed of properly. Throwing it in the water is not proper disposal. Sometimes, I wish I could smack people up side the head and maybe knock some sense into them. Yeah, I know...I know...but things like this really irk me. Sometimes, I really do not like people.
A few weeks back, my cousin asked if we could help her catch a goose that had fishing line tangled around its feet. The line was cutting into its legs and making it difficult to move around. She feeds the wild geese and noticed that one was hurt. I assured her that Son and I would be right over if she needed us. She was grateful and promised to call if the bird returned. I have not heard back from her so I was assuming the goose either freed itself or died. This past weekend, however, when I heard the geese fly over the Bayou toward her house, one was low enough for me to get a good view. Yep, the bird was still tangled. The poor thing was trailing about thirty feet of tangled line behind it when it flew. It made me sad to see the bird struggle along behind the other geese. Still, no call from my cousin. Obviously, the geese are stopping somewhere between here and there.
All day as I cleaned the greenhouse, I thought about that strung-up goose. I have no idea how in the world we would go about catching a wild goose but, given the circumstances, we must at least give it a try. This evening when I heard their calls as they returned from feasting at Michelle's house, I hurried out to see if I could catch another glimpse of the poor bird. If this was the same flock, the tangled bird was not with them.
While we all appreciate the stronger lines for our fishing reels, this stuff is no friend to wildlife. Whether the bird accidentally entangled in someone's line while they were fishing or if it became ensnared in discarded line makes no difference. Gone are the days when the line would rot in about a week. Gone are the days when fishermen were responsible folks who cared about wildlife. Unless the bird is helped, there is no way it can live much longer. My cousin had called the wildlife rescue folks, but her plea was met with the same response that I received about the injured heron. It seems that the local group is more concerned with donations than helping the critters. This poor bird will meet a sad fate, I am afraid. Hopefully, I will get a call from Michelle saying that the goose is there and hopefully our wild goose chase will result in a happy ending for the bird.
After the midday heat subsided a bit, I headed to the pier to check the little skiff and just cool off a bit. A brisk wind had picked up causing the marsh grass to give a little dance. Dragonflies were darting about the tops of the reeds and occasionally alighting on the pier posts. Over the water, a few gulls dove after menhaden. All was seemingly peaceful and good. Harmony reigned over the Bayou or at least it so appeared. On my way back up the pier was when I spied something troubling.
It irks me how irresponsible some folks can be. I am all for having a pretty yard with flowers and water features. I am not all for the dumping of invasive plants from water gardens out into the Bay. Water Hyacinths are known to cause trouble with a capital T. As beautiful as the blooms are and as intriguing as the little pontoon-like stems can be, these are not plants to let loose in any waterways. Water Hyacinths multiply at an alarming rate and within a matter of two to three warm, summer months can completely clog bayous, channels and even bays. This overgrowth soon shuts out any other natural marsh plants and eventually makes the water even uninhabitable by fish, shrimp, crabs and other water life. The plants are just bad news all together.
While I could not reach these plants and since Son is still recuperating from his hurt knee, the plants will have to wait a few more days. At least, they are corralled in the small inlet where we tie the boat during inclement weather. Hopefully, they will stay put and not be washed back out into the Bay. With these two clumps having washed into my area, I am concerned just how many others have been dumped into the Bay. If only people knew....or....more to the point, if only people cared.
