September: Tensas River NWR

You never know what you’re going to see. But in or near the Tensas River NWR, your chances of seeing a Louisiana Black Bear (Ursus americanus luteolus) are better than anywhere else in the state! I have now encountered a bear on three occasions, the last one being in September 2024. After completing a Sunday morning assignment in St. Joseph, La., I entered the refuge from the south and drove slowly north, looking for wildlife and stopping often to photograph birds, butterflies, dragonflies, wildflowers and the ubiquitous raccoons. Tensas rarely disappoints the avid wildlife watcher and photographer. By the time…

2 Fave Things

Dragonflies and cypress trees! I did not know either until I moved to Louisiana some 20+ years ago. I’m sure we had dragonflies in Iowa, but I paid them no attention. Cypress trees? Nope. Of course not. Learning to appreciate the beauty of a swamp was one big adjustment for this yankee, and cypress trees sure helped. This exquisitely beautiful spot is at Black Bayou Lake NWR on the north side of Monroe, La. Slide your kayak (or canoe) between the cypress trees, get to this open area in the middle, lean back (carefully), and drink in the peace and…

July: Count Them if You Can

Hot. July 2023 was hot, hot, hot. It is perfectly sane and respectable to just stay indoors in Louisiana in a normal July, and July 2023 was hotter than most. But you can’t see or count butterflies indoors, so…. a bunch of the incurable fortify themselves with bottles of water, field hats, and energy snacks, and out they go. July 31, 2022 – Knowing which flowers to plant is hugely helpful if you want to attract butterflies to your home, and Charles Allen wrote a book about it!* So counting butterflies at Allen Acres is great fun. Beauties like this…