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During the rice harvest, we had the opportunity to actually ride the combine to see rails flying up close. This also provided a good break time to help us digest our most recent Cajun meal. Photo by guide Tom Johnson.
It might take a few weeks to recover from the delicious food and fantastic birds that were packed into the three full days of this tour. Light kidding aside, Dan and I had a great time with the group while experiencing some very fun and often underappreciated aspects of American birding.
After arriving to our hotel in Lafayette and heading to a nearby restaurant to enjoy crawfish, boudin, and other fine Cajun fare, we were all ready to get some sleep. The first full day of the tour found us heading west to the rice country near Thornwell. We birded fields, hedges, and bayous during the morning hours, finding migrants like Greater White-fronted Geese, Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, warblers, and sparrows. In the afternoon, we hoped to have a first shot at watching rails flushing ahead of a rice harvesting combine in conjunction with the 2014 Yellow Rails and Rice Festival. Unfortunately, a mechanical issue prevented the combine from working properly, but not before Dan spotted a beautiful dark morph Harlan's Red-tailed Hawk and I ended up tripping and falling into the muddy water of an unharvested rice field. Reinvigorated by this amusement, we ended up walking a few fields in search of other rice country birds, eventually turning up a cagey Le Conte's Sparrow. Another Cajun feast capped off the opening day of the tour.
On Saturday morning, we drove down to the Gulf Coast near Cameron. We had spectacular views of Clapper Rail, Seaside Sparrow, and Nelson's Sparrow, and enjoyed watching a wide diversity of other coastal birds from the vantages at the East Jetty on the mouth of the Calcasieu River. A phone call from the rice country alerted us to the much-anticipated repair of the rice combine, so we pulled up stakes and headed north for the crown jewel of this tour. Throughout the afternoon, we watched many dozens of rails flying up in front of the working combine, including many Sora, several Virginia, one King, and about TEN Yellow Rails! We even rode the combine, getting a marvelous perspective of these secretive birds as they popped out of the rice fields. The day ended with a loop around Lacassine Pool, where we found a young Purple Gallinule, legions of Common Gallinules, and a few American Alligators. We ended this day with eight species of rails, a grand total indeed.
Having satisfied our rail cravings in the rice country, Sunday was spent to the north in pursuit of pineywoods specialties. Though we were able to quickly find flocks of Pine Warblers, Brown-headed Nuthatches, and other songbirds, both Bachman's Sparrow and Red-cockaded Woodpecker remained elusive through the morning hours. A lovely Thai lunch (who'd have thought we'd find THIS in western Louisiana?) prepared us for an afternoon of searching through the woods, which finally paid off with scope views of Bachman's Sparrow and a wonderfully accommodating group of five Red-cockaded Woodpeckers.
Dan and I enjoyed sharing the birds of western Louisiana with everyone over the long weekend, and we hope to see all of you down the road.
Thanks,
Tom Johnson
KEYS FOR THIS LIST
One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant
Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl)
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE (Anser albifrons)
SNOW GOOSE (Chen caerulescens)
ROSS'S GOOSE (Chen rossii)
CANADA GOOSE (Branta canadensis) [I]
WOOD DUCK (Aix sponsa)
MOTTLED DUCK (GULF COAST) (Anas fulvigula maculosa)
BLUE-WINGED TEAL (Anas discors)
RING-NECKED DUCK (Aythya collaris)
Podicipedidae (Grebes)
PIED-BILLED GREBE (Podilymbus podiceps)
Phalacrocoracidae (Cormorants and Shags)
NEOTROPIC CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax brasilianus)
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax auritus)
Anhingidae (Anhingas)
ANHINGA (Anhinga anhinga)
Pelecanidae (Pelicans)
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)
BROWN PELICAN (Pelecanus occidentalis)
Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns)
GREAT BLUE HERON (Ardea herodias)
GREAT EGRET (Ardea alba)

Flocks of bright pink Roseate Spoonbills brightened up an already blue sky on several occasions. Photo by guide Tom Johnson.
SNOWY EGRET (Egretta thula) LITTLE BLUE HERON (Egretta caerulea)
TRICOLORED HERON (Egretta tricolor)
REDDISH EGRET (Egretta rufescens)
CATTLE EGRET (Bubulcus ibis)
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON (Nycticorax nycticorax)
YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON (Nyctanassa violacea)
Threskiornithidae (Ibises and Spoonbills)
WHITE IBIS (Eudocimus albus)
WHITE-FACED IBIS (Plegadis chihi)
ROSEATE SPOONBILL (Platalea ajaja)
Cathartidae (New World Vultures)
BLACK VULTURE (Coragyps atratus)
TURKEY VULTURE (Cathartes aura)
Pandionidae (Osprey)
OSPREY (Pandion haliaetus)
Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
NORTHERN HARRIER (Circus cyaneus)
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (Accipiter striatus)

The star of the show! We had some excellent views of Yellow Rails in flight and in the hand. We even got to see one pull its patented disappearing act in a small patch of grass in front of the banding crew. Photo by guide Tom Johnson.
COOPER'S HAWK (Accipiter cooperii) BALD EAGLE (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK (Buteo lineatus)
RED-TAILED HAWK (Buteo jamaicensis)
Rallidae (Rails, Gallinules, and Coots)
YELLOW RAIL (Coturnicops noveboracensis)
CLAPPER RAIL (Rallus longirostris)
KING RAIL (Rallus elegans)
VIRGINIA RAIL (Rallus limicola)
SORA (Porzana carolina)
PURPLE GALLINULE (Porphyrio martinicus)
COMMON GALLINULE (Gallinula galeata)
AMERICAN COOT (Fulica americana)
Recurvirostridae (Stilts and Avocets)
AMERICAN AVOCET (Recurvirostra americana)
Charadriidae (Plovers and Lapwings)
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER (Pluvialis squatarola)
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER (Charadrius semipalmatus)
KILLDEER (Charadrius vociferus)
Scolopacidae (Sandpipers and Allies)
SOLITARY SANDPIPER (Tringa solitaria)
GREATER YELLOWLEGS (Tringa melanoleuca)
WILLET (Tringa semipalmata)
LESSER YELLOWLEGS (Tringa flavipes)

Virginia Rails favored the wetter rice; we saw several flush out ahead of the combine, showing off their long bills and chestnut wing patches. Photo by guide Tom Johnson.
LONG-BILLED CURLEW (Numenius americanus) MARBLED GODWIT (Limosa fedoa)
SANDERLING (Calidris alba)
DUNLIN (Calidris alpina)
LEAST SANDPIPER (Calidris minutilla)
WESTERN SANDPIPER (Calidris mauri)
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER (Limnodromus scolopaceus)
WILSON'S SNIPE (Gallinago delicata)
Laridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
LAUGHING GULL (Leucophaeus atricilla)
FRANKLIN'S GULL (Leucophaeus pipixcan)
RING-BILLED GULL (Larus delawarensis)
HERRING GULL (AMERICAN) (Larus argentatus smithsonianus)
CASPIAN TERN (Hydroprogne caspia)
FORSTER'S TERN (Sterna forsteri)
ROYAL TERN (Thalasseus maximus)
Columbidae (Pigeons and Doves)
ROCK PIGEON (Columba livia)
EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE (Streptopelia decaocto)

This obliging immature Purple Gallinule posed nicely for us at Lacassine Pool. We were lucky to find it, as most have departed the region by this point in the fall. Photo by guide Tom Johnson.
WHITE-WINGED DOVE (Zenaida asiatica) MOURNING DOVE (Zenaida macroura)
INCA DOVE (Columbina inca)
Strigidae (Owls)
EASTERN SCREECH-OWL (Megascops asio)
Apodidae (Swifts)
CHIMNEY SWIFT (Chaetura pelagica)
Alcedinidae (Kingfishers)
BELTED KINGFISHER (Megaceryle alcyon)
Picidae (Woodpeckers)
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER (Melanerpes carolinus)
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER (Sphyrapicus varius)
DOWNY WOODPECKER (Picoides pubescens)
HAIRY WOODPECKER (Picoides villosus)
RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER (Picoides borealis)
NORTHERN FLICKER (YELLOW-SHAFTED) (Colaptes auratus auratus)
PILEATED WOODPECKER (Dryocopus pileatus)
Falconidae (Falcons and Caracaras)
CRESTED CARACARA (Caracara cheriway)
AMERICAN KESTREL (Falco sparverius)
MERLIN (Falco columbarius)
PEREGRINE FALCON (Falco peregrinus)
Tyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers)
EASTERN PHOEBE (Sayornis phoebe)
SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER (Tyrannus forficatus)
Laniidae (Shrikes)
LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE (Lanius ludovicianus)
Vireonidae (Vireos)
WHITE-EYED VIREO (Vireo griseus)
BLUE-HEADED VIREO (Vireo solitarius)
Corvidae (Crows, Jays, and Magpies)
BLUE JAY (Cyanocitta cristata)

We had excellent luck with woodpeckers on this long weekend. One of the common species that we encountered was Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, which recently arrived in numbers to spend the winter in Louisiana. Photo by guide Tom Johnson.
AMERICAN CROW (Corvus brachyrhynchos) FISH CROW (Corvus ossifragus)
Hirundinidae (Swallows)
NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)
TREE SWALLOW (Tachycineta bicolor)
BARN SWALLOW (Hirundo rustica)
Paridae (Chickadees and Tits)
CAROLINA CHICKADEE (Poecile carolinensis)
Sittidae (Nuthatches)
BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH (Sitta pusilla)
Troglodytidae (Wrens)
HOUSE WREN (Troglodytes aedon)
WINTER WREN (Troglodytes hiemalis)
MARSH WREN (Cistothorus palustris)
CAROLINA WREN (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
Polioptilidae (Gnatcatchers)
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER (Polioptila caerulea)
Regulidae (Kinglets)
GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET (Regulus satrapa)
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET (Regulus calendula)
Turdidae (Thrushes and Allies)
HERMIT THRUSH (Catharus guttatus)
AMERICAN ROBIN (Turdus migratorius)
Mimidae (Mockingbirds and Thrashers)
GRAY CATBIRD (Dumetella carolinensis)
BROWN THRASHER (Toxostoma rufum)
NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD (Mimus polyglottos)
Sturnidae (Starlings)
EUROPEAN STARLING (Sturnus vulgaris)
Parulidae (New World Warblers)
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT (Geothlypis trichas)
PALM WARBLER (Setophaga palmarum)
PINE WARBLER (Setophaga pinus)
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (MYRTLE) (Setophaga coronata coronata)
BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER (Setophaga virens)
WILSON'S WARBLER (Cardellina pusilla)
Emberizidae (Buntings and New World Sparrows)
BACHMAN'S SPARROW (Peucaea aestivalis)
SAVANNAH SPARROW (Passerculus sandwichensis)
LE CONTE'S SPARROW (Ammodramus leconteii)
NELSON'S SPARROW (Ammodramus nelsoni)

This flexible Nelson's Sparrow posed for some beautiful views at the mouth of the Calcasieu River in Cameron. The birds that winter in Louisiana represent one or both of the colorful interior subspecies. Photo by guide Tom Johnson.
SEASIDE SPARROW (Ammodramus maritimus) SONG SPARROW (Melospiza melodia)
SWAMP SPARROW (Melospiza georgiana)
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (Zonotrichia albicollis)
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW (Zonotrichia leucophrys)
Cardinalidae (Cardinals and Allies)
NORTHERN CARDINAL (Cardinalis cardinalis)
INDIGO BUNTING (Passerina cyanea)
Icteridae (Troupials and Allies)
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD (Agelaius phoeniceus)
EASTERN MEADOWLARK (Sturnella magna)
COMMON GRACKLE (Quiscalus quiscula)
BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE (Quiscalus major)
GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE (Quiscalus mexicanus)
BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD (Molothrus ater)
Passeridae (Old World Sparrows)
HOUSE SPARROW (Passer domesticus)
EASTERN COTTONTAIL (Sylvilagus floridanus)
SWAMP RABBIT (Sylvilagus aquaticus)
EASTERN GRAY SQUIRREL (Sciurus carolinensis)
FOX SQUIRREL (Sciurus niger)
BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN (Tursiops truncatus)
Other animals included some great views of some very impressive American Alligators, including a photogenic individual at Lacassine Pool.
Totals for the tour: 135 bird taxa and 5 mammal taxa