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| Summer Tanager Eating Mulberry |
Last weekend I was back with some serious birdwatchers for
the first time in a while. I had
almost forgotten the passion they exude and the hard work involved in searching
for beautiful little birds. The
celebration coincides with the spring migration. Song birds of many species are crossing the Gulf of Mexico
to return to their breeding grounds all over North America. Grand Isle with its live oaks is one of
the first landing places. Here the
birds rest up, drink fresh water and eat red mulberries to refuel for the rest
of their journey.
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| A Regal Rose-Breasted Grosbeak |
I positioned myself by one of these mulberry trees and
waited for bird of red, yellow,
blue and rose to come to eat.
There are a few of these fruited trees along the Griletta Tract, one of
the wooded areas the Nature Conservancy manages. Here a continuing flow of
binocular clad folks asked me as I peered down the length of my 600mm Nikon lens
if I had seen the black-whiskered vireo or the fork-tailed flycatcher, both
very rare for the state. I said
no, I was concentrating on the colorful rose-breasted grosbeak and tanagers
right in front of me.
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| Scarlet Tanager |
The next morning as the sun rose I sat on the deck of the
Nature Conservancy camp with four serious bird counters, David had over 400
birds on his list he has seen in Louisiana alone.
They had spotting scopes looking out over the dune to the
Gulf waters, hoping the rare Razorbill could be spotted.
It is a Northeastern Auk type bird that
has been seen a couple of times way of its course in Louisiana. I was also
surprised to learn that the 430 different species of birds known to Louisiana
in 1996 when my
Louisiana Nature Guide came out has now been increased to 460.
There are a lot of birders finding new avian visitors to Louisiana every year.
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| The Trail at Griletta Tract |
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