Louisiana Trip 2025

 From 3.28.25-4.4.25 my father, brother and I drove from Chicago, IL to New Orleans, LA, Birmingham AL and back. 

Roseate Spoonbill from Day 3 

Day 1, 3.28.25:

Illinois: Rend Lake, IL. Pictured: Bonaparte's Gulls, House Sparrows, eastern Carpenter Bees.

Arkansas: West Memphis, AR. Pictured: Northern Mockingbirds.

Day 2, 3.29.25: 

Louisiana: Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge. Pictured: Swallow-tailed Kites, Osprey, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Laughing Gull, Red-winged Blackbird, Swamp Sparrow, Eastern Kingbird, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Eastern Bluebird, Belted Kingfisher, Yellow-rumped Warbler, White-eyed Vireo, Turtle, Eastern Tiger Swallowtails.

Day 3, 3.30.25: 

Louisiana: Water Channel Next to Target, New Orleans. Pictured: Muscovy Ducks, Domestic Duck, Western Cattle-Egret, Double Crested Cormorants, Laughing Gull, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Black-Crowned Night Herons, Anhingas, American Crow, Blue Jay, American alligator.

Louisiana: City Park, New Orleans. Pictured: Yellow-crowned Night Heron, American Crow, Blue Jays, Anhinga, White Ibis, Northern Mockingbirds, Carolina Wren, Laughing Gulls.

Louisiana: Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, New Orleans. Pictured: Muscovy Duck, Pied-billed Grebes, Northern Mockingbird, Laughing Gulls, Cooper's Hawk, Eastern Kingbird, American Alligator

Louisiana: Avery Island, Iberia Parish. Pictured: Great Egrets, Little Blue Herons, Great Blue Heron, Snowy Egrets, Anhinga, American White Pelicans, Black Vultures, Turkey Vultures, Bald Eagle, Green Anole, American alligator, Turtles, Black Swallowtail.

Louisiana: Rip's Rookery, Iberia Parish (Roseate Spoonbills). Pictured: Roseate Spoonbills.

Louisiana: Rip's Rookery, Iberia Parish. Pictured: Common Gallinules, Little Blue Heron, Anhingas, Great Egrets, Roseate Spoonbills, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks.

Louisiana: Rip Van Winkle Gardens, New Iberia. Pictured: Inca Doves, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Brown-headed Cowbird, Mourning Dove, Indian Peafowl, Red-tailed Hawk

Day 4, 3.31.25:

Louisiana: Boat Tour, Westwego. Pictured: Laughing Gulls, Bald Eagle, Caspian Tern, Western Cattle Egrets, Cooper's Hawk, Anhingas, Double-crested Cormorants, Pileated Woodpecker, Turkey Vultures, Black Vulture.

Louisiana: Boat Tour, Westwego (Alligators). Pictured: American Alligators.

Louisiana: Bayou Segnette State Park, Westwego. Pictured: Limpkin, Roseate Spoonbills, Great Blue Heron, Little Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Western Cattle Egret, Green Herons, Anhingas, Double-crested Cormorants, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Bald Eagle, Yellowlegs/shorebirds, Eastern Bluebird, European Starlings, Northern Mockingbird, American Five-lined Skink, American Alligator

Louisiana: Roadside, New Orleans. Pictured: Muscovy Ducks and Ducklings, Western Cattle Egret, Green Anole.

Day 5, 4.1.25:

Louisiana: Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge, New Orleans I. Pictured: White-faced Ibises, Glossy Ibises, Common Gallinules, American Coot, White Ibises, Tricolored Herons, Roseate Spoonbills, Great Egret, Snowy Egrets, Little Blue Heron, Green Heron, Red-winged Blackbird and Yellow-crowned Night Herons

Louisiana: Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge, New Orleans II. Pictured: Common Gallinules, Anhingas, Gull-billed Tern, American Coot, Black-necked Stilt, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Scaups, Blue-winged Teal, Spotted Sandpiper, Swallows, Bald Eagle

Louisiana: Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge, New Orleans III. Pictured: Northern Cardinal, Swamp Sparrow, Common Yellowthroat, Redwing Blackbird, Swallows, Gray Catbird, Green Anole, American Alligator, Dragonflies, Viceroy (butterfly), Southern Paper Wasp, Black Horsefly, Eurasian Collared-Dove

Day 6, 4.2.25:

Alabama: Avondale Park, Birmingham. Pictured: Northern Mockingbird, Green Herons, House Finch, Eastern Phoebe, Chipping Sparrow, Brown Thrasher, American Robin, Pekin Duck, Muscovy Duck, Canada Goose, Cooper's Hawk

Day 7, 4.3.25:

Alabama: Avondale Park, Birmingham. Pictured: Eastern Towhees, White-eyed Vireo, Palm Warbler, Northern Mockingbird, Chipping Sparrow

Day 8, 4.4.25:

Alabama: Roadside, Birmingham. Pictured: Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Northern Mockingbird