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Posts Tagged ‘Bird Banding’

This Bed and Breakfast is for the Birds

February 27th, 2011 by carriagehouse

Tweet…Tweet…Tweet.  Chirp…Chirp…Chirp.  Chevy…Chevy…Chevy.  Chevy what!?!

The mornings and afternoons are a cacophony of bird song here at the Carriage House as all of our feathered friends gather at one of the feeders for their meal.

One of my favorite things about this area is the birds and I imagine sitting on a UK’s best rattan sun lounger. and gazing at them all day long.  No matter the season, we always have birds.  Different birds in different seasons but always birds.  In fact, it was a soft summer day spent on a Go Devil boat on Caddo Lake capturing pictures of the wetland birds that sealed the deal for us.  The birds convinced us that this is where we wanted to live.

For me, there is nothing more relaxing then sitting out in the Carriage House courtyard, drinking my morning coffee and watching the Yellow Finches, the brightly colored Cardinals, and the Swamp Sparrows play and eat at the bird feeders.  Even the scavenging squirrels, hanging upside down from a tree and stretching their little bodies as long as they can to get a seed from the feeder, are a joy to watch.  I didn’t realize that the Carriage House B&B also served a gourmet breakfast for our feathered guests as well.  I guess you can say that we do whatever it takes to keep our guests happy.  Even our feathered guests are special here!

If you are a bird-watcher, the Jefferson area is a birding playground for you.  The Big Cypress Bayou Wetlands and Caddo Lake area are home to many different native and migratory birds.  Some say that over 250 species of birds live in this area.  The months of seasonal transition, November and March, are also months of bird transition.  Soon our winter birds will leave but our summer birds will arrive.  We will miss all of our winter friends but we can’t wait to see who shows up for the warmer months.

Monthly, the Caddo Lake Institute sponsors a bird banding outing at a farm close to Caddo Lake.  This event is open to public.  In fact, the next bird banding event will be Saturday, March 19th, which is during our Spring Photography Weekend.  So I am sure some of our photogs will want want to be out there to capture this amazing spectacle.  I can’t wait to see and post some of the shots these folks get.

These pictures were taken this weekend in the courtyard.  Tom had so much fun sitting out there with his camera just shooting away.  It was a bit of a trick only picking two pictures to post.  I liked this cute little fella.  The little yellow finches are so cute!

Oh and the Chevy call.  We have a Mockingbird that hangs around here who sings, Chevy…Chevy…Chevy.  I guess he works for the car dealership in town.

Birds and Bird Banding at Caddo Lake

January 24th, 2011 by carriagehouse

Bird Banding at Caddo Lake

Last week I wrote about a bird banding event which took place at the Walker Farm right off of the shores of Caddo Lake.  For your reading pleasure, here is a fantastic news article which was written by the Marshall News Messenger about this amazing expereince.

If you have not been to Caddo Lake, then you are missing a truly unique and unusual ecosystem.  The area is more of a swamp then a lake and is nothing more then a collection of bayous and sloughs.  This primitive wetland is protected under the Ramsar Treaty and is designated as a Wetland of International Importance.  For a birder, this area is paradise!  The Caddo Lake Wetlands supports one of the highest breeding populations of wood ducks, prothonotary warblers, and other birds.

Dr James Ingold, professor of Biology at LSU-Shreveport, hosts this general public event each month.  The birds are captured by net, banded, and then weighed and measured.  This process helps with counting the number and species of birds and in measuring the lifespan of each bird and species.  So far, over 67 different species of birds have been counted at these events.

These Bird Bandings are open to the general public and occur monthly.  The next bird banding is scheduled for Saturday, February 19th (weather permitting).  If you are coming from out of town and need a place to stay for the monthly bird banding, then call us here at the Carriage House Bed and Breakfast at 903-665-9511.

Bird Banding in Jefferson, Texas

January 18th, 2011 by carriagehouse

Are you looking for something unique and interesting to do this weekend in Jefferson?  Then come out to the Carriage House and go out to the Walker Farm on Caddo Lake with Tom to experience the January Bird Banding.  Dr. James Ingold from LSU-Shreveport will be leading the Bird Banding and will help participants net the bird and identify the birds.  Tom will be out there as usual with his camera shooting photos of the event.

We still have several rooms available so call us today at 903-665-9511 to make your reservation or go online to our website to book your room in real time.

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