Looking ahead...

[Rick]

That's a whooping crane from a reintroduction of birds that apparently don't migrate, and you may be thinking of the wood storks that only migrate in for a couple of the Summer months. Been seeing scads of big shorebirds:


But no wood storks just yet.

And I don't suppose that frogging contest has a category for the most frogs? Right across the grass road from where we saw Frogzilla, we found Froghatchzilla this morning:


Then there was this entirely accidental capture of a capture and release you'll not see every day:



If you blinked and missed the end, that's the bug learning about cormorants.

[simplepeddler]

yep.........of course you are correct....storks........then commorants ain't no joke

[Rick]

Then there was this entirely accidental capture of a capture and release you'll not see every day:



If you blinked and missed the end, that's the bug learning about cormorants.

Given the above, I thought it might be a good idea to break out the bug's duck, Bieber, and make sure the cormorant incident had no negative consequence. Which turned out wise:



What happened next would have been just about as pretty as it sounded apt to be, had I not remembered Rule Number One: "When you lose your temper, you lose."

And we eventually got it worked out so everyone was happy but Bieber:



(Turns out ducks apparently don't preen oil into their feathers without water on them to inspire it, and the pigeon loft-kept Bieber soaked up water like a Shamwow. But he survived and is back on welfare with the homers - until next time...)

[Rick]

In other news, though they've apparently been at it for a while in the Basin, alligator nesting seems to be running late in our area. Have yet to encounter a finished structure, let alone one apt to be incubating eggs. Been hiking into places the aerial spotter doesn't fly just to find partial nests:


and sites where they're just starting to rake the grass:


But did get a little thrill today when I stepped into this hidden gem:


Never hit bottom, so for all I know, Indiana Jones may be down there. Was lucky to have been using my momma stick as a walking stick when I "found" it, which may well have prevented breaking something best not broken far from help.

Gonna give it another week or so before wasting any more time and effort in the sun that would only need repeated when I'm more confident I'm seeing most of what's going to be out there.

[DComeaux]

That would suck! Disappearing in a hole in the weeds.

[Rick]

and ole friend of mine, Danny Womack, used to chase these down for photos every year.......seems early though to see them?? No??

yep...storks...

Speaking of which, we saw our first arrivals this morning:




But they were a lot spookier than the usual crew and blew out despite scads of unconcerned great white and blue herons, roseate spoonbills, egrets and ibis between us:

[Rick]

Finally found a finished nest, albeit of poor quality:


The "tell" that it's finished and almost surely holding eggs is the groove left by a mother who has been tending it:


I suspect, but don't know as certainty, that they intentionally drag water onto and pee into the nest to provide moisture to aid in spurring the warming fermentation of the vegetation within to help incubate their eggs.

Also found another barely started project:


So it's still early.

[Darren]

Really neat! Really wish I had a handy live duck to work Harry with over this way but I've got no way to keep him between training sessions.

Dunno what kind of stork it is, but some kind is coming here in September.......

[Rick]

That reminds me that I need to give Bieber (the duck) some bath water, so he'll start preening oil into his feathers. Was a sponge this last time out.

And I'm thinking your storks are likely wood storks, too, like those above. Bald black buzzard heads with pick ax beaks and very distinct black primary and secondary wing feathers.

[Darren]

That reminds me that I need to give Bieber (the duck) some bath water, so he'll start preening oil into his feathers. Was a sponge this last time out.

And I'm thinking your storks are likely wood storks, too, like those above. Bald black buzzard heads with pick ax beaks and very distinct black primary and secondary wing feathers.

What about the ones that carry kids?

[Rick]

Forgot about that!!! "Bespectacled storks" from what I've seen on the tube.

[Rick]

Not a breath of breeze in the field this morning, but I did find a "classic" nest:


And the tallest version of an otherwise familiar marsh vegetation form I can recall:


Tried one with my old, sun-baked self for perspective, but the low camera angle either stretched me a couple feet or lopped them off the plants:


Anyone know what it is?

[Rick]

Saw four bluewings today, best clean your guns and start the roux.

[Rick]

Been lamenting the loss of use of "my" gator-safe training pond after its sale a couple years ago, but maybe not so much since finding this:


at the end of what had been my puppy channel. Apparently much more to her liking now that some crazy bastage isn't always blowing whistles and yelling at his poor dogs there.

[Darren]

Saw four bluewings today, best clean your guns and start the roux.

It's on now! Yesterday's achievement was getting the training dummy out the backyard power line (throw rope wrapped) without cooking myself. Poor Harry had been waiting a while for that bird to fall.......

[Rick]

Saw eight or nine more bluewings in another place this morning, along with the most mottleds I've seen in one place so far this summer.

[Rick]

Been reading old logs lately and came across this shot of a favorite family party on a fogged-in morning:


Loving it now but had to be dying at the time.

[Darren]

I remember that entry

Some would have scratched, but if I recall correctly, not the Mudhole.

[Rick]

Log says we eventually managed to scratch out 14, but it wasn't the fast hunt I can't ever seem to put Todd and Kelly's daughter, Brittany, on. Have spoiled her parents, but she's had enough slow ones to think they've made it up.

Was also the season you and your FIL, Mike, first hunted with us (and did a little better):

[Darren]

Jan 2012 if I recall correctly, and also think it was during my last (before this past season) visit to in laws place next door that we set up that trip with you and Doug. I remember the wind was rippin from the N/NW with a frontal passage and we had a big time, even letting lots of squealers pass. Speaking of that crew, Mike was recounting his trip(s?) with you from last season over the weekend and may look to see if there's availability on the same dates I've currently got booked.

[Rick]

Either your memory is a whole lot better than mine, or you've logged it, too:

Date: 1/12

Time: morning

Location: Mudhole

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: NW strong

Temperature: getting colder

Moon phase: bright

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: super blackbelly flight for my end of the marsh (westerly winds seem to do that), fewer teal moving than expected, the usual local ducks and, since we passed the whistlers, a thankfully strong big duck flight

Waterfowl Responsiveness: good if we got to them before they joined the locals using the north (lee) end of the marsh

Hunters: 2, the Pit Blind's own Darren and his FIL, Mike. (If Darren's wife is as nice as her dad, Darren hit a home run.)

Guns & Ammo:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s) and Dog Work: The coyote got a workout early on, but had it good after the guys got dialed in and started finishing the crips on their way out.

Special Equipment: spinner was more bane than boon as it wouldn't stay white down in the wind and would have been pulled if I'd had need to get in the boat to chase birds.

Curses: none

Kudos: great morning to be alive and in the marsh, and while I've seen reference to poor shooting in Darren's log, they did well enough that we passed shooting at lot of game without worry over making the strap heavy.

Birds By Species: 1 bw teal, 4 gadwall, 2 gw teal, 8 mallards, 2 mottleds and 1 pintail

[Darren]

Of course I logged it too, BUT can honestly say the response was without consulting said log. I can't remember where my car keys or shoes are half the time, but I can remember vivid details of hunts back to 2002-2003 season. And that January morning was one for the books for us, especially seeing so many mallards and pins.

Since we're passing offseason times, here's some of my favorites from that hunt:

DSC07310.JPG

the Coyote works the floods

DSC07320.JPG

Mudhole flood edition

DSC07322.JPG

DSC07325.JPG

DSC07350.JPG

[DComeaux]

I can't remember where my car keys or shoes are half the time, but I can remember vivid details of hunts back to 2002-2003 season.

Funny how that is with me,too! Life's pleasures make a strong imprint.

[Rick]

Holly molly, look the water in those shots! I'd forgotten that it ended up getting that high and remember that season for starting out with the mudhole looking like this:




And requiring umpteen grindings:




to create the illusion of a pothole:

[Darren]

That mud soup is a wonder of south La nature; you've got to be awfully creative to envision the pretty pond you ended up with when it's covered up in all that greenery

How's it looking this summer so far with regard for vegetation and water levels?

[Rick]

We still haven't received the farm returns for our marsh, so I've not been in it, but did take a look at one of our access points on the northernmost edge of the bigger marsh it's part of this morning, and it's very high. Am thinking our stuff should be in excellent shape with deeper water drowning out some trash and promoting sub-aquatics. Only real high water fear is that flotant that gained a root foothold and some substance during the low years will pop free and be tougher on the dogs. Though hopefully not like following the salt surge summers.

But the marsh is like the alligator: about the time I think I know its ways, it will show me something new.

[Rick]

Got to spend my morning on a new-to-me sweet, sweet farm on Lacassine NWR's north border, where the set-aside half was ate up with mottled and whistling ducks. Life is good.

[DComeaux]

Got to spend my morning on a new-to-me sweet, sweet farm on Lacassine NWR's north border, where the set-aside half was ate up with mottled and whistling ducks. Life is good.

I want to go!

[Rick]

It's 1,000+ acres of happily ever after from a hunting perspective. Don't know if it could be bought at any price, but it has me thinking about investing in a Powerball ticket, just in case...