Day 112: April 21 – No Free Lunch

A cool overcast morning on New Smyrna Beach

Last night's storm

     Last night’s storms have pushed the tides up higher than normal, and that means more sea grass on the beach to provide extra tidbits for the shorebirds.  I watched as one of the most diligent hunters on the beach, the Ruddy turnstone, waded through the mounds of grass, picking through the strands, flipping sand out of the way, and turning over shells to see if there was anything tasty lying underneath.  He was working hard, but the fruits of his labor were plenty.

       Some other shorebirds like the Black-bellied plovers and the Sanderlings were likewise applying considerable effort to find their Saturday breakfast.  But…..there were those who decided that they could allow some other living being to provide for them.  A group of several fishermen had set up their tackle at water’s edge and were attentive to their set-ups, waiting for that tell-tale dip of the rod tips.  Another group of “fishermen” or more appropriately “fisher-birds” had also set up camp in the same location.  A group of 5 Snowy egrets had decided that it might be easier to simply wait for a human angler to discard a used piece of bait or an undersized fish which bit on the hook to supply their needs.  

       As fishers, they were certainly patient, and finally a small bait-fish was tossed aside and quickly scooped up by the fastest and most alert of the snows.

       Now the other egrets were ready to put forth some effort….not to catch their own prize, but to usurp the “catch” of the first bird.  They swarmed upon him, badgering him to relinquish his meal.

       He bobbed and he weaved.  He flew a short distance, keeping his body between the other egrets and his fish.

       At last, when he had a moment’s peace, he maneuvered the fish into the necessary head first position and gulped it down with great relish.  The other birds simply turned away and returned to their posts, awaiting another hand-out from the fishermen.  The one Snowy had indeed gotten his lunch, but even though he didn’t need to work to catch it, he certainly had to expend some energy to keep it.  And so as the saying goes, “there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch”.