The Louisiana Waterthrush Reel

Yesterday’s lovely weather and north wind gifted me a long but exhausting day in the field, focused on warbler migrants in Galveston’s Lafitte Cove motte.  I have many GBs of photos to develop.

Today is another stellar forecast, and with summer heat and humidity just around the corner, it is too lovely a day to spend indoors developing photographs. 

I must confess a wee bit of exhaustion this morning after carrying my 400mm lens, camera, binoculars and daypack some six+ hours yesterday.  So today I’ll make a late morning start for a more car-centric birding day, giving chase to shorebirds.

Before heading out, I wanted to post my favorite Louisiana Waterthrush photos from last week’s trip to High Island.  Although the Louisiana Waterthrush makes a summer home in East Texas, and much of the Eastern U.S., it is considered a coastal migrant.

After several hours of birding the hot spot areas of Boy Scout Woods, I stepped away from the human crowds, walking the back trail into what I call the “Prehistoric Swamp Area” of these woods. 

Go back into this section of High Island most of the year, and mosquitoes will be the crowds that surround you.  Go back into this section of High Island with a small crowd of birders, and the feathered Ones will mostly hide from you. 

But quietly walk into this area alone under perfect springtime conditions, stand very still for the time it takes, and you will likely watch a Louisiana Waterthrush come dancing your way, oblivious to her big-eyed, funny-hatted audience.

I quietly watched this Louisiana Waterthrush a long time, moving in-and-out of the dappled light.  Her movements stayed with me throughout the week, and this past Saturday I sat down with my Mountain Dulcimer and wrote a simple little reel to pay tribute.  The Louisiana Waterthrush reel: 

(As always, click on photos to enlarge):

May all your days be birdy days!