Hello again, y’all. You probably pass right by me on the beach every day but don’t recognize me! See, Ms P is still using my chickhood photos and won’t show me as I really am until next year. Go figure! Humans! Anyway, I have a tale to tell y’all about my new BFFF (best feathered friend forever), Whinona the White Ibis. Together with Juno the Osprey and Julio the Cormorant, we have the most AWESOME time hangin’ out fishing an’ flying all over the barrier islands. Well, one day Juno the Osprey was talking about her brother’s friend RV the Reddish Egret and how he’s sooooooo annoyed at the seagulls for trying to steal his shrimp. Neptune the osprey is…?? Yes, Ms P, I’ll speed it up!! Long story short: those seagulls try to annoy the white Ibis, too, when they’re fishing.
A few days ago, Whinona the White Ibis took a trip with her aunt Jemina the White Ibis to Ding Darling to visit with the extended family:
"Oh, look, Aunt Jemina, there are the new Juvenile Wood Storks cousin Gino was talking about."
They were having a whale of a time caching up on all the news and getting to know the new additions to the Wood Stork family:
"Tweet, tweet, grunt, schrrech, tweet, twit, twittor, twit, tweet, screech, grunt, squak, tweet, brack, tweet, tweet, twit, twittor, twit, tweet, screech, grunt, squak, tweet, brack, tweet, tweet, twit, twittor, twit, tweet, screech, grunt, squak, tweet, brack, tweet,tweet, twit, twittor, twit, tweet, screech, grunt, squak, TWEET, brack, tweet, tweet, twit, twittor, twit, tweet, screech, grunt, squak, tweet, brack, tweet!!!!!????????"
Eventually, they decided to part company with the Wood Stork family and went on their way to do a spot of fishing:
Aunt Jemina the White Ibis: "Ah, i just LOVE the Wood Stork family, don't you, Whinona?"
As the day went on, Whinona, Jemina and the whole White Ibis clan met up with a huge mess of Great and Snowy Egrets, Roseate Spoonbills, other White Ibis clans and a few herons—ya know, your Great Blue, Little Blue and yer Reddish. Everyone was babbling about the early arrival of the White Pelicans who had just arrived that morning from Up North, exhausted from their long journey. I doant know why humans here call it “Up North”—we’re hardly at the south pole where the icecaps are melting an’…?? Yes, Ms P, I’ll speed it up and keep on track! Scheesh, she’s fussy today, innint she? So, anyway, a bunch of ‘em decided to fly to the next pond and greet the new arrivals:
"Twit, squak, brack, twit, twittor, tweet, Twit, squak, brack, twit, twittor, tweet, Twit, squak, brack, twit, twittor, tweet, Twit, squak, brack, twit, twittor, tweet, AI JEST CAIN'T WAIT TO SEE OUR FRIENDSESES FROM UP NORTH!!! Twit, squak, brack, twit, twittor, tweet,Twit, squak, brack, twit, twittor, tweet,Twit, squak, brack, twit, twittor, tweet"
But the Cormorants and the gulls had beaten ‘em to it:
Julio the Cormorant: "Y'all look so tired. Why doncha jest set an' rest awhile? We'll git some fish fer yez."
Once all the welcome mats had been pulled out and fluffed up, Whinona the White Ibis said farewell to Aunt Jemina the White Ibis and poked around for a few bites. After some satisfying shrimp, a nice fat catfish presented itself. Whinona couldn’t believe her good luck!!! But it was not to be without some fracas, as we shall see:
"I can feel someone starin' at me tail feathers."
"Be still, my beatin' heart--is that REALLY a catfish?"
Seagull: "Whatcha got goin' there, Whinona the White Ibis hein?, hein?"
Seagull: "Hey, ya know catfish is very bad for the Ibis--hard to digest, doncha know!!"
"Git away, Mr. Seagull, yer not gittin' this." "Awww, Whinona, come on, you kin share, non? non?"
"Oh dang, I'm so winded from that Seagull but I'm not lettin' go!!!"
"Hey, Whinona the White Ibis, are you aware that yez have green stuff on that beautiful beak? Put the cat down, why doncha, hein?, hein?"
"Hey, Whinnie, ya know I could hook you up with some coupons for Mullet King if ya care ta share that cat, hein? hein?"
"AAAAWWWWW, Whin, fer Pete's sake, jest lemme git a bite, why doncha/"
"Eh Whinbo, d'ya hear that the catfish is vurry bad this year! Red Tide an' all that, doncha know????"
"WHINONONNNNNAAAAANNNAAA, yer goin' ta choke on that, ya are!" "YUUUUUUMMMPPPPPP, YUUUUUUMMMPPPPPP. Deleeeshusshhhh!"
"Going, goin'....."
"...gone! Oh boy, that was one big catfish!!!"
After such an ordeal with the cheeky seagull, Whinona the White Ibis decided to hang out that evening with a bunch of Rosies and the King/Queen of them all—the Great Blue Heron.
"Tomorro, Ima do a diet--no more catfish!!!!!!!"
And, over there is none other than Baudelaire the Great Blue Heron inspecting the troops:
Another perfect day in paradise closes its doors with clouds ablaze from the sun’s setting embers :
Sunset at Ding Darling
CORRECTION: Ms P says that is not Baudelaire the Great Blue Heron but we will get back to his story in a while. And, please enjoy one of Ms P’s favorite artists by clicking here. Oh, and if you want to hear about Neptune the Osprey’s tale of RV the Reddish Egret and another pesky seagull, click here.
Y’all come back in a few days when Ms P will have a contest! Whew, FINALLY!!!! ;D
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