Spring From MN March 30 to New Orleans April 5

When we left our Northern MN home March 22 to fly to New Orleans and begin our Full Length Mississippi project we were leaving at the very beginning of spring.  Snow was still deep in our lawn - maybe a foot and we thought this would be gone and it would be greening up by the time we returned April 14.  We did not want to miss the excitement of spring migration and blooming.

In New Orleans, Natchez, St. Francisville, and Memphis on our first paddlewheel north we were finding that the cold spell that was up north was extended far south and the migration was not proceeding rapidly, but it was definitely spring.  At Oak Alley near New Orleans.

At oak alley the leaves are out

Redwinged blackbirds sang

Iris in bloom


Azaleas at their peak

Amaryllis in flower

Fox squirrels active

Flower beds full

A recent hatch of dragonflies was out

Bluets in flower

Fleabane in flower

Flock of white pelicans

Spring beauty

Yellow rumped warbers in trees


gnatcatchers singing

In Baton Rouge - the mockingbirds were active and present in every corner.

Killdeer were near the old tracks

Going north from Baton Rouge we found Pelicans on the river and the trees were leaving out.

vultures were soaring

Willows have leaves, but not all the floodplain did.

At St. Franisville, LA

A species of ragwort dominated the lowflood area that is called the Batture - between the levee and the river.

Small leaves were on the sycamore

Cypress did not have leaves.

Azaleas were at their peak.

Red buds had flowers

Natchez - MS
Note the leaves are not out on all the trees

Carolina chickadee in young leaves

Azaleas at peak here too

Cedar Waxwings and young catkins

Blue Jay

Small mints in bloom

Scaled dove
Vicksburg MS - going North on the river
junco among the dandelions

Note mix of leave outs at Vicksburg Battlegrounds

Back in New Orleans
The Cattle Egret were in mating plumage

Eastern Kingbird

Brown Pelican

laughing gull
South of New Orleans
Cypress leaving out

gator sunning
Moorhen

Flowers out in great variety


song sparrow

Yellow Crowned night herons in breeding plumage
In the Bayou's
Cardinal Flower

Penstemmon

spiderwort

Louisiana Iris

Arrowhead

Carolina Wren


Spider lily

Parula warbler


prothonotary warbler

The Atchafalaya

Cypress among invasive water hyacinth

Southern Bald Eagles
The Ospreys were on their nests




We would be following the Mississippi north again - what would change?





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