Louisiana Trip, IV

 Day 4: Grand Isle

• Woke up for gate opening at Grand Isle SP. Waited outside taking photos of birds wandering, perching and flying. Gate never opened but managed two lifers: clapper rails (only ones spotted on the trip) and black skimmers. Can't complain?

• Drove to Ninety West Park. Wandered through the park and nearby roads.
• Highlight of the day was watching a least bittern (lifer) cling to the reeds for a few minutes before flying off.

• Day heating up. Returned to the marina to watch terns and saw my first (do not know my oceanic wildlife) dolphin? Turns out dolphins aren't as easy to photograph with a zoom lens from a dock as I would have figured.

• Made another stop at the Ninety West Park and the beach.
• Loads of terns and gulls on the beach. No lifers but had fun taking pictures and walking barefoot on the sand while almost everyone else . . . drove the beach? Hm.

Louisiana Trip, III

 Day 3: Lefleurs Bluff State Park, Grand Isle

• Woke up at Lefleurs Bluff SP campground and walked several trails.
• Lefleurs Bluff SP Highlights: No lifer birds but got the trip's best look of Carolina Wrens, saw a huge Golden Silk Orbweaver plus another sort of lifer.

Decided to leave the boat landing area as my first wild gator turned and started to slowly drift across the river in my direction. :)

• Drive to Grand Isle was pretty smooth and quite interesting visually. Saw a million places along the freeway I wish I could have stopped to scope for birds.
• Got to my inn and decided to check the marina out back. Lifers aplenty!
• Grand Isle Mariana Highlights: Up close looks at Laughing Gulls, a Ruddy Turnstone, Brown Pelicans and also saw Least Terns and Royal Terns (all lifers).

• Also went over to the east portion of Grand Isle Beach.
• Grand Isle Beach Highlights: Magnificent Frigatebirds (lifer), first Loggerhead Shrikes of the year.

• Quick stop at the supermarket before hanging out at the hotel.
• Improvised a spoon.
• Watched sunset and last birds about the marina.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Louisiana Trip, II

 Day 2: Overton Park, Enid Lake Dam, Lefleurs Bluff State Park

• Short drive from KOA Memphis to Overton Park.
• Overton Park highlights: Didn't see as much as hoped especially for amount walked but saw a few Northern Mockingbirds (lifer).

• Enid Lake Dam highlights: No lifers but some new birds for 2023.

• Arrived at Lefleurs Bluff State Park and stopped at a few spots en route to campground.
• Plenty of time to set up tent, relax and read.
• Lefleurs Bluff SP Highlights: Spotted White Ibis (lifer) and Little Blue Herons (lifer) on way to campground. Watched birds flying towards roosting sites at sunset. Saw among others: Black-Bellied Whistling-Ducks (lifer), Wood Stork (lifer), Anhinga (lifer).

• Slept pretty well and heard more owls overnight.

Louisiana Trip, I

For various reasons, the summer of 2023 was a quiet one for birding, but I did get one big trip in, a trip to Grand Isle, Louisiana, hitting several more spots along the way.

Day 0-1: Wakonda State Park, Wapanocca National Wildlife Refuge

• Good energy for drive, arrived at campsite (at Wakonda State Park) just after sunset.
• Poor sleep (barking dogs, great blue herons).
• Wakonda SP highlights: Eurasian Tree Sparrows (lifer) and heard northern bobwhites (lifer).

• Drive to Wapanocca NWR felt long, construction and truck traffic.
• Wapanocca NWR highlights: Prothonotary Warblers (lifer), Carolina Chickadees (lifer), heard two Barred Owls (lifer), Fish Crows (lifer), Mississipi Kite (lifer), got to watch a raccoon up close, saw lots of cool dragonflies and wasps.

• Camp at KOA Memphis
• Very humid but slept okay! Steady highway noise and intense cicadas.