This evening I visited the wader roost at Lafreniere Park at dusk. As previously, the roost is located in two baldcypress trees right next to the boardwalk, affording excellent close views. The birds look like oversized Christmas Tree ornaments on the full-bodied cypress trees.
I estimated 325 roosting waders:
295 White Ibis (only 9 juveniles)
10 Great Egret
10 Snowy Egret
1 Cattle Egret
The paucity of White Ibis juveniles (birds hatched this year, which are brown on the upperparts) suggests that many have yet to leave their nesting colonies, although it could also be that juveniles are simply less likely to use this site than some others (?).
A juvenile Yellow-crowned Night-Heron was also stalking the nearby shore. As yet, just a few Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks- hordes are expected later in the fall.
More info on wader roosts is on p. 8 & 9 in Birding Made Easy.
Good birding,
Peter Yaukey
for a copy of Birding Made Easy-New Orleans, email me at birding.made.easy.new.orleans@gmail.com, or look for it at the Maple Street or Garden District Book Shops.
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