Down the Gulf Coast on the Birding Trail

Our last stop in Louisiana was the town of Sulphur, across from Lake Charles.   We stayed at a campground that was located right on the Creole Nature Trail, a linked set of wildlife refuges and natural areas maintained by Louisiana and the US.  This area of the coast is very low-lying and filled with marshes and wetlands that stretch literally for miles.  Many areas have been set aside for wildlife habitat.  Migratory birds pass through them in great numbers, and although we were a bit early for the migration, we got to see a lot. 

Besides the wildlife, the little towns around the area were fascinating and had a lot to offer.  The town of St Martinville nearby, for example, contains the Evangeline Oak, the tree that is featured in Longfellow's poem of the same name.  The town was part of the original exile of the Acadians from Canada, which is recounted in the poem, and the town has built a small monument to that tree right by the river.  The Acadian/Catholic traditions and culture are still strong here - most of the street signs are in French, with English subtitles.

The food in this area is still very strongly influenced by the French traditions - from the local diner called the Paris Street Cafe to Dupuy's Oyster House in Abbeville, where I had the best combination oyster plate I have ever eaten.  Some wonderful history and some wonderful food.  And along with it, lots of coastal nature and birdwatching. 

The tradition of the Mardi Gras is strong here, as well.  The nearby town of Lake Charles had a charming little costume museum with archived costumes from parades of past years.  It was located in a repurposed school building, and had talking mannequins which kept you informed about the history of the local extravaganzas.  

But this area, along with a lot of the Louisiana coast, is also heavily dominated by oil and gas, which contrasts strongly with the natural wonders.  There are very few areas here that don't sport a large refinery or chemical plant, and the industrial base of the economy in Sulphur and Lake Charles  is an overwhelming presence.  At night these things are dramatic, lit up like an amusement park. 

From here we headed south along the Gulf Coast to the town of Palacios, Texas where we stayed in a lovely little RV park right on the water.  It was home to many Winter Texans, as they are called by the locals, folks from states like Minnesota and Wisconsin who have discovered the joys of wintering down south.  Palacios is the home of the largest shrimp fleet in Texas, and there were lots of shrimp boats in the harbor right next to us.  The harbor also provided some very nice birding, and a very good local Mexican restaurant.  We liked touring the little town, which has some lovely old buildings, some of which have fallen into disuse but are still charming.  

The Aransas National Wildlife Refuge was nearby also, which shelters the largest whooping crane flock left on the planet.  We went there to see them and also saw a lot of other birds, including this magnificent wild turkey that was standing along the road when we took our wildlife drive. 

The stay in Palacios was short, so that we could book some available dates in the Matagorda State Park.  This lovely spot is located out on a barrier island directly across from the town of Matagorda, and provides wonderful access to marshes, rivers, and channels where the shorebirds were gathering.  The shorebird migration was well under way, and we saw lots of new species including American avocets and black skimmers.  The first couple of days were spring break for the local young families, so the park was packed out with kids, but by Monday everyone was gone and the place was as quiet as could be. 

We took walks around the area, Ivy did some painting, and we enjoyed the birding along the canal. 

We moved on to Aransas Pass, where birding was once again a big priority.  A key trip was to the visitor center at South Padre Island, where we joined a half day birding trip headed by a couple who have been there for some years and volunteer to lead birding outings five days a week.  They were enormously helpful, and we learned a lot.  They knew all of the species by heart, and had excellent local knowledge of how to find the more challenging ones.  We got a lot of firsts that day, including this pair of nesting white-tailed hawks, birds which are rare outside the southern borders of the US.

There were several nice discoveries in this area.  We explored the little town of Rockport, with some excellent local art, a colorful waterfront, and some nice shops.  There were two good birding spots, the Fred Jones Natural Reserve out in surrounding country, beautiful with wildflowers galore, many natural paths, and some good birding; and a pier outside Corpus Christi, where the shore birds were plentiful and in full migration.  So it was a very busy time and a lot of fun.  Nowhere near enough time for all the things we wanted to do - like almost everywhere else.

From here, we are headed to the mouth of the Rio Grande.  Here we pay our last visit to the coast, and then head inland for several months of cross-country trekking, ending back in fabulous Seattle.