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!
I see a lot of things down near the Bayou. Critters abound in the marshes and one can get a good view of them by just sitting quietly and waiting. The pier sits high enough above the marsh grass that it allows for the perfect coverage of what creeps beneath it. This is where I wait....and wait....until some creature crawls, walks or swims into my view. Most have no fear of me since I spend a good deal of time there. The birds in particular seem to accept my presence with no qualms. Of these, the rails have come to know me and will actually bring their broods out to feed while I am within just a few feet of them. They are sure that I mean no harm and probably feel a bit safer with me being there.
I pondered the rail, today, as one youngster hunted for his mid-afternoon snack. Obviously, this little fellow was new at being on his own as he had not perfected the skill of hunting. He would scamper across the mudflats while chasing fiddler crabs or wade a bit in the shallows hoping to snatch a minnow or two. He was not having the best of luck. My thoughts went more to how he was able to move so quickly across the soft mud. Any other critter would have difficulty staying atop the mushy stuff. From personal experience (don't ask!), a person would literally sink up to their thighs in the Bayou mud. The rail, like all other shorebirds, have extremely large feet. Although they are mostly toes, the bird uses its feet for stability. The toes being splayed outward lets the bird distribute its weight across a greater area thus allowing it to walk on top of the mud. We, unlike the birds, have our weight centered on relatively small feet. The small surface area under our feet is not able to support our weight on the softness so we sink. A rail weighs less than four ounces so the large feet can easily keep the bird from sinking deep into the mud.
This tiny rail easily tripped across the mud in search of food. I am happy to say that the bird finally did manage to catch several minnows so his belly was full for the night. Come morning, he will be on the hunt again and those large feet will serve him well!
