Louisiana Drive - Day Three

(Back Blip)

We set off south from Sulphur, Louisiana, to drive around the Creole Nature Trail. The Trail is a loop formed by various roads (and a very short, free ferry ride) through two Louisiana parishes. They pass through a huge area of wildlife refuges, including marshes and wetlands, and run along some beaches of the Gulf Coast. We stopped at various points to get out and walk about (should have remembered our mosquito repellent!!!). In contrast to yesterday’s cultivated Rip Van Winkle Gardens, today’s areas were completely natural and wild (although sadly there were some bamboos, that I assume are not native and are very invasive, taking over large swampy areas). We saw a whole range of birds, including various Herons and Egrets, Cormorants, Roseate Spoonbills and Ibises. We also came across many butterflies, wildflowers and alligators (luckily we were in the car again at that point as they were only five or six feet away). On the two-minute Cameron Ferry crossing, a highlight for me was watching dolphins swimming nearby!

We wound our way back up to Lake Charles and our hotel, in time for a wonderful dinner and a wee bit of a last gamble to round off our trip nicely.

I was spoilt for choice for my blip today – blipping really does require a lot of discipline and decision-making skills, doesn’t it! I finally chose this one of a very vociferous Loggerhead Shrike.