Blue Goose ~ Day 223

January 5, 2014 ~ Hammond, LA to Fontainebleau State Park, LA

I didn't travel far today, just moseyed along route US190 parallel to Interstate 10 so not busy. I made a reservation at Fontainebleau State Park, on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, very close to Big Branch Marsh NWR. This time of year, the campground was probably 25% full - mostly large RVs but also a few tents and truck-campers, peaceful, quiet and blessedly dark at night.

I found a good spot, paid my $24 (apparently LA does not have reciprocity with MI for cheaper rates) and, after two false turns, found the refuge. It has a half-mile boardwalk over a marsh, rebuilt after major Katrina damage. What surprised me was that I saw almost no birds...maybe one egret, but nothing else in this prime habitat. I still don't know why.

I lingered in the parking area by the boardwalk because of the seven trees with wide white painted rings near the bases, trees where the Red-cockaded Woodpeckers nest.

Big Branch Marsh NWR- LA

These birds are endemic to the US, do not migrate and live in the longleaf pine forests of the southeastern states.

I was lucky enough to see one at Ochlockonee River State Park in Florida's Panhandle in the spring of 2012 which is where I learned about them. It is estimated that only 1% of the original population is left, due mostly to habitat loss. This woodpecker could be an icon for sexual role reversal / feminism / equal sharing of parental duties....

WWW.ALLABOUTBIRDS.ORG 

• The Red-cockaded Woodpecker nests only in live pines. But, it often selects ones that are infected with the red heart fungus. The fungus softens the wood and allows the woodpecker to dig out a cavity. The live pine tree then "bleeds" pitch around the nest hole. The heavy flow of gum helps keep tree-climbing snakes away from the nest.

• A family of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers excavates a number of cavities within their territory. It may take two years or more to completely dig out one cavity. The breeding male roosts in the best cavity, usually the one most recently created and with the heaviest sap flow. The eggs are laid in this cavity, and the male incubates them at night.

• The Red-cockaded Woodpecker is a cooperative breeder, and lives in small family groups composed of one breeding pair and several helpers. The extra birds usually are sons from previous breeding seasons; daughters only rarely stay with their parents. The helpers assist in raising young, including incubation, brooding, and feeding. The entire family usually forages as a group, moving together from tree to tree.

I didn't see any RCWs but late in the afternoon, there was a flurry of activity from other birds: Eastern Bluebirds, Downy Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Yellow-rumped Warblers....I did something which goes against my loose personal rule of not playing bird songs or calls. I saw what I figured was a Swamp Sparrow and impulsively played its song. A total of FOUR Swamp Sparrows popped out of the brush and perched nearby, obviously lured by the song, which is why I don't like to do this. I also saw Song Sparrows and Mockingbirds, Cardinals and Blue Jays. I felt I was in a Michigan woods again with the advent of the jays. 

Boy Scout Boardwalk - Big Branch Marsh NWR - LA

The amount of litter in the water-filled ditches was appalling - white plastic bags and cups, beer bottles, soda and beer cans, and the occasional discarded appliance. 

My firm intention to cook a meal didn't happen due to a long phone conversation with my daughter. By the time that ended, it was dark and chilly, so I had some cheese and crackers, a glass of wine and a can of Vienna sausages. 

A lovely full moon moved through the tall trees during the night. It got COLD, so I was particularly happy with a warm bathroom and shower early the next morning. It's a little tricky trying to figure out where to put toiletries, clean clothes, dry towel and foot-wear in these campground bath-houses, but they are clean. There was one hook and no shelving of any kind except a bench in the common area. The shower curtain stopped three inches above the tile so the water dripped all over outside of the shower. I was the only person here. An overly modest woman would have issues in the busy season.