A Peninsula into the Gulf of Mexico

Today was the best birding day of our vacation so far. We left the downtown area of New Orleans this morning and drove slowly down the western bank of the Mississippi River. The sediment over thousands of years formed a long peninsula about 60 miles into the Gulf of Mexico. Today's birding trip proved our assertion that birding is not about the final destination, but about the journey along the way. Our slow motion car trip down this peninsula into the sea yielded two new life birds for us, the Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris Himantopus) and the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow (Ammodramus Maritimus Mirabilis). This was a great day.

There is a wildlife area at the end at the end of the peninsula to provide sanctuary and habitat to wintering waterfowl. The entire peninsula took a direct hit from Hurricane Katrina. Marsh and beach areas were eroded, trees were blown down or damaged, and vegetation was stressed by saltwater intrusion. Despite all of this, we saw today hundreds of beautiful White Ibis, both white adults and brown juveniles. We found several Common Snipe mingling among the Greater Yellowlegs next to some shrimp boats. Because they eat fish, we kept seeing Ospreys, also known as Sea Eagles, all day long. We have Black Necked Stilts in Memphis and they also have them here. What charmed us more than most were the small white Cattle Egret whose courting plumage was tinged in orange. Right next to the water's edge, tiny Sanderlings trotted up and down, checking the foam for tidbits.

The peninsula had a great many orange trees. We were surprised, frankly, that many of the actual oranges were still on the trees this late in the year. About half way down the peninsula, there was the ancient Fort Jackson. It was a battle site in the American Civil War. We drove around the property slowly and looked at birds.

Another great place along the peninsula was next to some shrimp boats. Not on the boats themselves, but in a muddy field right next to the shrimp boats. There were a lot of birds feeding in the wet grass and mud holes there. I saw two Boat Tailed Grackles nibbling cleverly at seafood which remained inside fishing nets that were hung next to a shrimp boat.

You might not think about it, but some of the best birding is done in empty lots next to busy buildings. Or behind stores or in schoolyards. We saw hundreds of White Ibises next to an idle crude oil spigot. The Ibises flew inside the fence and munched goodies in the grass and disturbed no one. No one but us even noticed.

Robert drove very slowly down the peninsula, making innumerable stops at a thousand birding spots. We turned around and Berry drove back up the peninsula at the speed limit. After a long, very pleasant day, we got a hotel room at the Cypress Inn Hotel in Luling, Louisiana.

Robert and Berry

Photo courtesy of wikipedia