Quill Talk
WHAT’S NEW ON THE BAYOU – QUILL TALK
by Kurt Zuelsdorf
Dear Journal;
I poked my head out of the hole overlooking Clam Bayou after a week-long freeze that has the tops of the entire estuary burned to a dark brown. My wings were stiff from the lack of activity so I thought I’d give ‘em a stretch. I cruised low over the bayou and watched a group of humans launch from the shelly shore. They paddled and stumbled to their feet on flat boards and they carried bags. The North wind still brings a cool crispness and it swept them into the South pass. Fishermen on the pier asked questions about the spines on a catfish. Silly beings, I found out the hard way when I got jabbed as a chick. It left me wingless for a few days ‘til the swelling went down. I wish the guy in the hat wouldn’t have told them the dangers…. “Nature’s way” is sometimes the best way.
One of the fellas sitting in a boat was looking very clean-cut and proper…impressive beak too! His sunglasses reflected the sky and he smiled when the circling vultures dropped on a wind current over the freezer-burned mangroves. The wind rustles these dry leaves making hunting a little easier for me. A mouse or a snake would suit me just fine.
I watched them fumble through the narrows of a lagoon near my home. And then they started doing something unusual for this species. Deep in the roots of a tree lay a box. It’s been there for some time you know. When the wind blows, the box makes a squeaky sound as it rubs against the tree. I don’t know…only thing I can tell you is from my perch I see that it scares my neighbors, even the little crabs that cover the ground won’t go near it. Maybe its the greasy slick that emanates from it’s skin, anyway this guy with the glasses poked and prodded until he got that box out of there! He paddled away smiling as though he’d caught a giant marlin. Funny species. Wish I could send him a thank you card, but I’ve seen feathers made into writing pens….barbaric!
Two guys standing on the boards with long paddles made me laugh when they passed close. Never saw me though. The guy with the big head and bright smile was joking about Coke bottles and fake teeth and kept jabbering about nothing really, but they kept me entertained enough to follow. I kinda like the style of the bearded one. He has a keen eye for stuff and said he fancied snakes…hey, me too!
The fella in the black hat I’ve seen before several times although I don’t think he knows me. He talks a lot about nature and seems to really like this place. He points out the plants and birds and fish and others listen intently. If he shows up again I’ll name him. I know it’s not proper to name these people as it is said to name them claims ownership of them, but I can’t help myself. This guy has caught my eye and I think I’ll call him Soupy, hmm, don’t know why, just will.
The paddlers kept moving toward the fresh water entryways that mix and swirl and make this place special for the fish. The recent freeze killed so many lately. Flocks of vultures have been swooping and diving and feeding on the fish but with so many dead it’s likely they’ll not be able to eat them all before the smell starts in. Bad for the fish, but good for the birds and crabs I’ll bet! The freeze didn’t kill all the fish like I’ve seen in nearby lakes. Huge schools of minnows remain only to be scattered by those pesky jumping mullet. Why do they jump anyway?
A bottle here, a can there and too many plastic bags to count were loaded into their boats. Pictures of my pals, the herons, were taken and the further they went the more they enjoyed themselves. Laughing grew louder and the picking continued. They all came to agree on one thing – this place is special. I seconded.
Nearing the end they encountered a place that I and others rarely enter. The trash in this place makes us all sad. And this group reacted just as we do- looking around in disbelief. Are we related? Do we have a common thread? Why does all this junk have to come here where I live, where I play, where I eat and sleep? It seems we all have the same questions and not enough answers.
Back from whence they came, the current carried them past the new nests built by the little green herons. They haven’t been nesting here long you know. Nope, only the past few years and they love it here as much as me. My dream is that more people continue clean up efforts here ‘cause if not… we’ll ALL be homeless.
In the distance I heard them coming. The crows! We’ve never gotten along with the crows. Ever since great, great, great, great Grampa Barney got caught snatching an egg there’s been war. They blame us for the loss of so many young-uns and for the nickname they call a flock of crows…A “Murder”! Can you imagine? Thought it best I lay low and let ‘em pass as they do everyday at this time on their way to the roost, but I risk being seen by…yup, the bearded one saw me! His comment on my heart-shaped face was sweet. I give the others credit for trying to spin their head in a circle like me but I don’t think they can. Then one by one they saw me perched on the naked branch under the canopy of burned leaves. You’d think they’d never seen a barn owl before! They just sat there all slack-jawed ‘til I flew off to tend to my hungry belly. I suppose I’ll see them again. I gotta consider getting me one them cameras so I can make an album for my chicks. Otherwise, they and nobody else will believe the pile of trash they removed from our living room!
Yours truly on this day 1/26/2010
The Barn Owl of Clam Bayou
January 30th, 2010 at 7:01 pm
Barn owls are about as sweet as they get aren’t they? Great story …Soupy is it? OK, Kurt then.
February 21st, 2010 at 7:40 pm
It has been a while been Sheila and we were wondering when is the next clean up date? Please let us know!! We would like to help. : )
February 23rd, 2010 at 7:20 am
Hi Nancy,
You must register at the Habitat Flor-Da Manatee page here on the website to get the clean up schedule.
Thanks for staying in touch
Z