We usually stop at this NWR whenever we pass through. Previously, that has been in the summer and fall, but this time we went out of our way to stop during the spring, when they are raising their young. These woodpeckers usually travel in family groups, but they could be anywhere most of the year. During the spring, when they are breeding, they raise the young within their family groups cooperatively and this gave us a better chance of getting to see them. Luckily, it paid off and we got to see several individuals as they foraged.
We have been to Big Branch Marsh NWR in Louisiana several times, all in hopes of seeing the Red-cockaded Woodpeckers that reside there. They are endangered and can only be found in a handful of places across their range in the southeast U.S. because most of their habitat has been lost to logging. I have searched for them in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and South Carolina. We have never successfully found one...until today! When you drive into the parking area, the telltale signs of the woodpeckers are all around if you look at the trees. T Red-cockaded Woodpeckers are the only woodpecker in the U.S. to make their nesting and roosting holes in live trees. Because of this their holes will have running sap around them, like in the picture above. This is likely a defense against some predators. We usually stop at this NWR whenever we pass through. Previously, that has been in the summer and fall, but this time we went out of our way to stop during the spring, when they are raising their young. These woodpeckers usually travel in family groups, but they could be anywhere most of the year. During the spring, when they are breeding, they raise the young within their family groups cooperatively and this gave us a better chance of getting to see them. Luckily, it paid off and we got to see several individuals as they foraged. We had a great time watching these charismatic little birds go about their daily lives.
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We have driven I-20 through Louisiana more times than I remember, but somehow we have never seen this Great Blue Heron Statue right along the interstate in West Monroe, LA. It is part of Restoration Park (right next to the La Quinta Inn & Suites - West Monroe location) along with a pond and walking trail. We had to keep moving so we did not get to explore the park or trails, but it seemed like a nice area to stretch your legs. The statue was beautifully made and slowly spun in the wind. With the right wind, it looked like it's wings could even flap. It was a pleasant surprise to find along the interstate.
We stopped at this wildlife refuge in mid-November as we traveled from Slidell to Baton Rouge, LA and stumbled across a surprise...we had found an area where the Red-cockaded Woodpecker nests! This woodpecker is rare and declining in numbers. Additionally, it inhabits a relatively small area of the U.S. which only covers portions of the southeast. While we did not see any Red-cockaded Woodpeckers during this trip we will be returning and hope to see them in the future. Their nesting trees are marked by the park rangers and can be identified by running sap around the nest hole. This is due to the fact that, unlike other species of woodpeckers, this species nests in live pine trees. Below is a picture of one of the nests. We chose to walk the Boy Scout Road Trail, which has plenty of information about the area at the trail head including a pamphlet that gives information about numbered stations along the trail. It also boasts an extensive boardwalk that winds its way through the marsh. The refuge covers several habitat zones and we only had time for a portion of the trail. We were here on a cloudy, rainy day, so we did not see many birds, but the refuge is beautiful and we did see Marsh Wrens, an Eastern Bluebird, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Mallards, an unidentified hawk, and a Belted Kingfisher. Walk softly and stand still near the cattails and reeds along the marsh portion of the boardwalk to see the Marsh Wrens. The headquarters and visitor center are located north of the refuge. On the way in, there is a bat box that had been recently installed (pictured below). I asked about the species inside, but the visitor center volunteer was not sure and based on its recent installment, it may not have been occupied yet. The visitor's center is located in an old monastery/church and is quite beautiful (pictured below). I apologize for the slight blurriness of the picture. The visitor's center is large and has an extensive interpretive area showcasing animals and information about the area. Towards the back of the visitor's center, there is an interesting exhibit (pictured below). Upon entering there must be a camera trigger, because the exhibit comes to life. You can then use the flashlights on the railing to illuminate the various animals in the exhibit. When you do, it trips an audio recording of whichever animal the flashlight is currently aimed at. You may have to move the flashlight around the animal a bit to find the trigger. I have never seen anything like it at a visitor center and it is set up very nicely. I was once again impressed by the quality of Louisiana's national wildlife refuges and I can't wait to visit more of them!
For more information about Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge: http://www.fws.gov/bigbranchmarsh/ On our way through Louisiana, we decided to stop here to try to see a Pileated Woodpecker. Unfortunately, we didn't come across any, but we did see lots of other wildlife. This refuge is close to Monroe, Louisiana (about an hour and a half east of Shreveport) and was well worth the stop. They clearly take great pride in the refuge and it has very nice visitor and education buildings as well as trails and a long boardwalk/pier that takes you over the water to get a closer look at the water birds and alligators, yes, wild alligators! As you walk the refuge, keep your eyes peeled. In addition to birds and alligators, we saw interesting spiders, snakes, lizards, and fungi. While there were not as many birds as we expected (we were there in late October between the departure of summer residents and the arrival of winter birds) we did see Anhinga (pictured below), a Winter Wren, Eastern Phoebe, Great Egrets (in the very top picture), Great Blue Herons, American Coots, and more Pied-billed Grebes than I have ever seen in one place. We spotted two alligators off the boardwalk/pier (pictured below). The first was between 3 and 4 feet long and the second was a little bigger. There was also a snake curled up in the grass next to one of the alligators (pictured below). From the information in the education building, we think it was a Yellow-bellied Water snake. On another part of the refuge, from the observation point, we spotted a frog, anole, and some pretty big spiders (all pictured below). And some more pictures of the refuge... Fungus (below): The view from the observation point (below): One of my favorite decorations was a weather vane of the National Wildlife Refuge symbol (pictured below). Below is a panorama of the education center which featured various fish, snakes, alligators, turtles, and a beautiful mural along the walls. To visit or learn more about the refuge (which is part of a system of refuges in northern Louisiana), go to:
http://www.fws.gov/northlouisiana/blackbayoulake/ or to learn about the refuge system in northern Louisiana:http://www.fws.gov/northlouisiana/ I always look for alligators anytime I am around good habitat in the southern states, but I've never been able to spot one. If you are like me and can't seem to find one in the wild (probably for the best), then visiting an alligator park is the next best thing! On our trip from Texas to the Florida panhandle, we stopped at several places that featured alligators. They were all lots of fun and had friendly, knowledgeable staff, but were surprisingly different! Bayou Pierre Alligator Park The first one was the Bayou Pierre Alligator Park in Natchitoches, Louisiana. They had a range of alligator ages from 2-3 ft juveniles to very large adults. You can feed the alligators and take a picture with a small alligator for an extra fee (which of course, we did!). Their bellies are surprisingly soft! The alligators were spread over several ponds and a swamp, which also had Common Gallinules (formerly Moorhens) and a Least Bittern. They offered a feeding show and we got to see just how high the alligators will jump to get their food! In addition to the alligators, they have other animals that you can see, pet, and feed (depending on the animal) including deer, goats, emus, raccoons, and snakes. The staff were all very nice and we had a great time! http://www.alligatorpark.net/ Gators and Friends Alligator Park and Exotic Zoo The next place we stopped was Gators and Friends Alligator Park and Exotic Zoo, west of Shreveport in Greenwood, Louisiana. They also had several areas with alligators and a surprisingly large petting zoo that included goats, horses, camels, exotic deer, lemurs, ostriches, capybara, and more. The alligators were all medium to large in size and we were told that the largest was 12 ft! They had two feedings, one for each alligator area, and offered the chance to hold and have your picture taken with a small alligator at no extra cost. A boardwalk led us across several areas of the larger alligator pond. We got all the way around the park before we realized that there were ducks to feed at the far left end of the back porch of the gift shop. With all the other animals to see, ducks may seem a bit common, but I love feeding ducks so I wished I had saved some food! There was also an area where children could ride small ponies and a zipline that went over the larger alligator pond and around the park! I would have loved to try it, but we were short on time. The staff was very friendly and answered all of our questions. They even let me hold the little alligator twice :) Adorable (the sleeping lemur was my favorite)! http://www.gatorsandfriends.com/index.php Gulf Coast Gator Ranch Once we were in Mississippi, we stopped at the Gulf Coast Gator Ranch, which was the temporary home for the Gator Boys show on Animal Planet. This ranch had a smaller walking area than the above two parks, but was very pretty and had plenty of alligators to see and feed. There were eggs incubating in the front office and various areas with baby, medium, and large alligators. We also saw Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, and a Green Heron. The staff we talked to were nice and friendly and also gave us the chance to hold a baby alligator and have our picture taken with him. This was the smallest alligator we were allowed to hold of the four places we stopped. He had been born at the ranch and was used to being handled. He was 2 years old, docile, and very cute! They also offer airboat tours, but we didn't have enough time to try one. http://www.airboatswamptoursofmississippi.com/ Fudpucker's Gator Island The last gator stop was at Gator Island in Destin, Florida at Fudpucker's Restaurant. We ate lunch here and had a great time. Just like the other places, the staff was friendly and knowledgeable. There were several decks from which to view the 100 alligators in the pond! All of these alligators are under 5 ft since they are social when young, but can become territorial and attack other alligators once they reach 6 ft. When the alligators here get too large, they find homes for them in zoos and other educational programs. They also have a rare albino alligator named Pearl. She is in an enclosure by herself so that she can receive special care, and construction is underway to build her a larger habitat. They were not sure how many years she was going to stay at Fudpucker's, but they are also getting a rare yellow alligator in 2014. There is no admission fee but, for a fee, they do offer the opportunity to feed the alligators and have your picture taken holding one. This was the largest of the four alligators that we held, but no worries, he was fairly docile as well. We learned lots about the alligators from the staff here. We were lucky enough to stop by before the place filled up and they had time to answer all of our questions. Feeding was with a "fishing pole" that you hung over the walls into the pond and was a lot of fun!
http://www.fudpucker.com/locations/destin-florida While I highly recommend holding at least one little gator at any of these places (don't pick one up in the wild!), all of them, except for at Gulf Coast Gator Ranch, squirmed a little and even though they are small, they are strong. Their mouths are taped (don't worry, they can breath!), but it can be startling if they start to try to get away. Be sure to hold them like you are instructed, that was usually my mistake, and don't worry, the staff will quickly step in if they start to move too much. Most importantly, have fun! They are amazing animals. |
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September 2022
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