Louisiana Swamp Tour, Part 3

These are the final photos of our swamp tour which we thoroughly enjoyed.  

I must do this again...

One of my favorite swamp photos

Great Blue Herons are commonly seen around the lake

Our tour guide informed us that this tree was estimated to be about 500 years old.

Louisiana designated bald cypress as the official state tree in 1963.

Bald cypress trees grow slowly.  Over a span of 200 years, they reach heights of about 150 feet.

The trees can survive from 600 to over 1,000 years.

Tupelo gum trees are also common in these wetlands.

The tour guide told us that the term “Don't let the bed-bugs bite,”
literally resulted from using Spanish Moss to stuff mattresses!

Alligator breeding area- off limits during a certain length of time each year

This gator is about 6 to 7 feet long.

They grow from 2" to 12" per year, depending upon their habitat.
Growth rates slow down as the reptile becomes older.

This female didn't want our presence in her sunning area.  

She's attractive- for a gator, that is.

I don't recall the name of these bright green plants- they're pretty but uncommon around the lake.

Some people choose to navigate the lake in a canoe.

Fishing is a popular sport in this area.  Good luck, Mister!

Wildflowers are common around the banks of the lake.

I thought these were lovely.

Thank you for touring along with me.  If you happened to miss the previous two parts of the tour, you can view Part 1 here and Part 2 here.  I will soon post more photos of the Double-crested Cormorants that are common around the lake.  

If you're interested in a swamp tour in Louisiana and you're in the Baton Rouge/Lafayette area, I highly recommend Champagne's Cajun Swamp Tours for their comfortable tour boats and knowledgeable guides. 

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Mississippi Gulf Coast: Jones Park-Gulfport Marina

I wrapped up my trip to the Mississippi Gulf Coast with a visit to the impressionable Jones Park-Gulfport Marina.  Although Jones Park re-opened in May 2012, this was my first visit. This facility is located on 60 acres at the very south end of Highway 49, the center of the City of Gulfport adjacent to the Mississippi State Port. Not only is this park/harbor facility a signature facility for the City of Gulfport but it is the “Front Yard for the State of Mississippi”.  Amenities include a 319 slip harbor and promenade walk, splash pad/playground area, replica lighthouse, large pavilion, amphitheater stage, educational plaza, fuel dock and bait shop.

A Great Blue Heron stood attentively near a fisherman who was casting his line.  Was he waiting to receive a "treat", or was he planning to snatch and run?  I had never been so close to a heron, so I took advantage of it.  He tolerated my staring and shooting briefly then tried to get away from this crazy woman with a camera.  

But he would have to travel further to escape my obsession with him...

just a few close ups is all I wanted.

Moments later, he flew across the parking lot to the shore.  Yes, I stalked him.  I had to have a few shots of him with the beach background...

"Come on, lady...don't you have better things to do?  

I'm not the only bird around here!"

Okay, okay, I'll leave you alone.  Thank you for your time, and great photos ;) 

A while later, I captured a shot of this beautiful Great Blue Heron in a grassy area.

Other birds I observed at the marina-

Willet

Black-bellied Plover

Ruddy Turnstone

Ring-billed and Laughing Gulls

It was a great day and I was pooped by the time I returned home that evening.  I took over 500 photos- thank heaven for digital photography!  Otherwise, I couldn't afford to take so many!  And I wouldn't want to "waste" so many photos if they were developed on photo paper.  While going through those 500 photos, I deleted all but 132. 

I hope you enjoyed reading about my trip to the Mississippi Gulf Coast as much as I enjoyed writing about it.  Your thoughts and comments are greatly appreciated.  Have a wonderful week!  

Linked with our good host, Stewart at Wild Bird Wednesday