I was able to take a much needed kayak trip on my birthday. It was very fun and just what I needed at the time. Here’s some of the creatures I met out there.
Osprey
I always love to find hawks and eagles and other birds of prey, so I was very excited when I found this pair of osprey.
These osprey or “river hawks” are birds of prey that prefer to nest near bodies of water. I was interested to learn that they’re monogamous and mate for life. This osprey family is guarding their nest in the middle of Lake Martin. I hung out with them for a while hoping to catch a photo of them hunting or taking flight, but today they were taking a staycation at the nest.
American Alligator
Most of these alligators were juveniles, but they were relatively friendly as they let me get very close to take photos.
You would swear some of these young gators are gloating. Or maybe they’re just interested in getting a better look at this weird floating mammal.
We legit have some dinosaurs in our swamp yall!
Great White Herons
The Great Egrets, commonly known as Great White Harons, like to nest around bodies of water where they stalk shallow waters hunting for fish, frogs, and small reptiles. They are creatures of habit and can be reliably found in the cypress forest on the south end of Lake Martin.
Red-Winged Blackbird
These red-winged blackbirds can be seen everywhere in South Louisiana. This time of year you will often find multiple males chasing after a female.
The male can be distinguished by its vibrant red wings, while the female is often a solid grey or black.
Cardinal
It needs no introduction. The Cardinal is a common and beautiful bird.
Anhinga
Some people call them snakebirds. Anhinga sometimes put on a show where they spread their wings in the wind. I read their wings work as solar panels to help regulate body temperature. What a bunch of weirdos.
They have long furry necks and black and white accented wings. Like most Acadians, they love to eat seafood.
Other photos from Lake Martin
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