Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Blue Goose ~ Day 268

February 19, 2015 ~ Bastrop, LA to Tallulah, LA

I needed gas but turned into three stations before I found one that had a card reader at the pump. I am way to lazy to walk into the station to pay. How lucky I've been that gas prices are about half of what I thought they would be for much of my trip, averaging close to $2.00 per gallon.

It was good I filled the tank because the Upper Ouachita NWR was much farther than I expected. I first had to find the little town of Haile, turn on Haile Baptist Church Road and continue to the refuge, which I did, finally finding the headquarters.
On Haile Baptist Church Road on the way to Upper
Ouachita NWR - LA

The sun was out and no one else driving the route I took through the refuge. I have come to love these roads that meander through the woods and swamps and along rivers, listening for birds, seeing deer or the occasional coyote or fox, hearing nuts, twigs and other tree detritus drop on the perfectly still days, listening to the dry leaves rustling as sparrows and thrashers poke around, hearing the wind in the canopy and the very subtle noises that birds make as they look for food. At a boat landing, dozens of meadowlarks were foraging on the ground. I never see meadowlarks in this type of place; they are always in the fields, but here they were, easily spooked as I approached, flying in a group to the trees but soon coming back down to the grasses. The woods had an abundance of kinglets, titmice, etc. and I saw my first Blue Goose trip Eastern Towhee here. There has also been at least one Hermit Thrush if I wait long enough.  And many Eastern Bluebirds, so pretty perched on low branches, showing their rust and white bellies or their blue backs. To me, blue is an incongruous color in the woods. It's not that common and always gives me pleasure.
Hermit Thrush - Upper Ouachita NWR - LA

I feel the birds and I are on the cusp of spring, both getting impatient. There is the certain knowledge that more light and warmer days are imminent. The stubborn cold cannot hold much longer. (Bear with me....I think weather talk/perseveration is a digital thing for people; either one does or doesn't.)

Carolina Wrens are another common bird, the males singing a loud rich, very distinctive song, such that even I can recognize it. I'm not good at memorizing bird vocalizations but then again, I don't list or count "heard only" birds.

I went on to D'Arbonne NWR just south of Upper Ouachita and drove around there also, parking near a boat ramp and watching robins eat berries in the sunny woods and a pair of Savannah Sparrows that didn't dive for cover but calmly sat on a nearby tree branch. Of course I looked for the Red-cockaded Woodpecker....in vain. The D'Arbonne name here in Louisiana came from Jean Baptiste D'Arbonne, a French Canadian explorer and hunter in the early 1700s.

In times of high water, nearly 90% of  D'Arbonne is flooded as it is part of the Ouachita River overflow, so again, it's all about the water.....

The national record Mayhaw tree (known for berries that make a delicious jelly) and Rafinesque's big-eared bats are found in this refuge. So much happens in the NWRs with regards to protecting species other than birds. For instance, there are several closed-to-the-public "bat refuges" in these states. There are wildflowers, butterflies, insect, salamanders, trees, snakes, squirrels, black bear and beavers and bobcats, ocelots....hundred of species that the loggers can't disturb and for which staff on the refuges work to protect and enhance habitat.

I needed to get to Tallulah to get my mail, so I drove east nearly to the Mississippi and stayed in a motel there. A rather dismal motel but with evidence of recent upgrades. This must be a dynamic process, constantly keeping motel rooms clean, safe and attractive with the expected amenities. Of course, the upscale chains (3 stars and up) usually are very comfortable, but with the lesser chains (less than 3 stars), rooms and the extra vary greatly. Some are surprisingly pleasant, and some are pretty dreary and only superficially clean. Lighting, bathtubs, an ergonomically designed situation for computer work, computer connections,  door locks, window coverings.....I wonder if the Japanese pod-style hotel would ever work in America....for those who only want a comfortable bed and a bathroom. Modern, tiny, clean, comfortable and inexpensive rooms for a night.

At the turn-off to Upper Ouachita NWR - LA



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