Louisiana Wildlife

These are photos of Louisiana wildlife that I like for some reason, but not necessarily because they are pretty! I'll be adding to them periodically.
NHP = National Historical Park
NWR = National Wildlife Refuge
SP = State Park
WMA = Wildlife Management Area (State)

American alligator (adult) (Jean Lafitte NHP)
Nikon D200 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

American alligator (baby) (Jean Lafitte NHP)
Nikon D200 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

American alligator 3 (adult) (Jean Lafitte NHP)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

American alligator 4 (adult) (Jean Lafitte NHP)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

American alligator 5 (baby) (New Orleans City Park)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

American alligator 6 (adult) (Jean Lafitte NHP)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

American bullfrog (Jean Lafitte NHP)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

American anole (Jefferson Parish)
Nikon D200 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

American anole 2 (Bayou Sauvage NWR)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

American anole 3 (Jean Lafitte NHP)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

American robin (Fontainebleau SP)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

American tree sparrow? (Big Branch Marsh NWR)
If correct, a rare bird for Louisiana. Other possibilities include the field sparrow (upper left, also from Big Branch Marsh) and chipping sparrow (middle and lower left, from Washington Parish and NO City Park, respectively). Black chest spot, gray (not white) line above eye, brown line behind eye, and non-pink bill favor the tree sparrow ID, but lack of a bicolored bill argues against it. This is why my colleague Joel Mague says, "I don't do sparrows."
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

American white pelican (Bayou Sauvage NWR)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

American white pelicans (LSU Lake, Baton Rouge)
Nikon D200 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

Anhinga (New Orleans City Park)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Anhinga 2 (Bayou Sauvage NWR)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Nine-banded armadillo (Washington Parish)
Nikon D200 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

Young nine-banded armadillos (Washington Parish)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 EDIF AF-S.

Nine-banded armadillo 3 (Jean Lafitte NHP)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 EDIF AF-S.

Avery Island
Nikon D200 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

Bald eagle (Bonnet Carre Spillway)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 EDIF AF-S.

Banded water snake (Jean Lafitte NHP)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 EDIF AF-S.

Barataria Preserve (Jean Lafitte NHP)
Nikon D200 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

Barn owl harassed by crows (Audubon Park)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Barred owl (Bayou Teche NWR)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Barred owl 2 (Maurepas Swamp WMA)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge
This image contains glossy ibises (black birds), white ibises (white birds with pink bills), snowy egrets (white birds with yellow feet), a couple of little blue herons (obvious), and one Louisiana heron (hard to see).
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
Nikon D200 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge 2
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Black-bellied whistling-ducks (Audubon Park)
Nikon D200 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

Black-bellied whistling-ducks 2 (Bayou Sauvage NWR)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Black-necked stilt (Bayou Sauvage NWR)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Black racer (English Turn Wilderness Park)
Nikon D200 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

Black racer 2 (Jean Lafitte NHP)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Black skimmer (Grand Isle SP)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Black skimmers unlimited (Grand Isle SP)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Black vulture (Jean Lafitte NHP)
Nikon D200 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

Black vulture 2 (Washington Parish)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Blue-gray gnatcatcher (Maurepas Swamp WMA)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Brown-headed nuthatch (Big Branch Marsh NWR)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Brown pelican (New Orleans City Park)
Nikon D200 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

Brown pelican 2 (Grand Isle SP)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Brown thrasher (Washington Parish)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Carolina chickadee (Bonnet Carre Spillway)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Carolina wren (Jean Lafitte NHP)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Clapper rail (Grand Isle SP)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Common moorhen (Fontainebleau SP)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Common moorhen 2 (Bayou Sauvage NWR)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Cottonmouth (Washington Parish)
Nikon D200 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

Cottonmouth 2 (If you can count the scales...) (Bayou Sauvage NWR)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Cottonmouth 3 (Jean Lafitte NHP)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Cottonmouth 4 (That's why they call them "cottonmouths") (Bayou Sauvage NWR)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Do these turtles have something to worry about? (Audubon Park)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Downy woodpecker (Audubon Park)
Nikon D200 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

Downy woodpecker 2 (Jean Lafitte NHP)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Eastern box turtle (English Turn Wilderness Park)
Nikon D200 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

Eastern cottontail (Washington Parish)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Eastern gray squirrel (Audubon Park)
Nikon D200 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

Eastern phoebe (Washington Parish)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Eastern wood pewee (Bogue Chitto SP)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Garden spiders (English Turn Wilderness Park)
Nikon D200 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

Golden silk orbweaver (English Turn Wilderness Park)
Nikon D200 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

Gray catbird (Washington Parish)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Great crested flycatcher (Bayou Sauvage NWR)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Great egret (English Turn Wilderness Park)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Great egret with skink (Jefferson Parish)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

A "two-headed" great egret (Jefferson Parish)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Great horned owl (Big Branch Marsh NWR)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Green heron (New Orleans City Park)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Gulf Islands National Seashore (Mississippi)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Hooded warbler (Tickfaw SP)
Nikon D200 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

Indigo bunting (New Orleans City Park)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Laughing [gull] pooper (Fontainebleau SP)
Nikon D200 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

Lake Pontchartrain mirage (Fontainebleau SP)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Laughing gull (Bonnet Carre Spillway)
Nikon D7000 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

Lesser yellowlegs (Maurepas Swamp WMA)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Little blue heron (Avery Island)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Little blue heron with frog (New Orleans City Park)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Loggerhead shrike (New Orleans City Park)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Louisiana heron (Audubon Park)
Nikon D200 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

Louisiana heron 2 (Bayou Sauvage NWR)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Mallards (New Orleans City Park)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Marsh wren dives for cover! (Bayou Sauvage NWR)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Maurepas Swamp State Wildlife Management Area
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Monk parakeet (New Orleans City Park)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

No lunch for Stefan (the Cooper's hawk on the left) (Jefferson Parish)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Northern cardinal (Washington Parish)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Northern (yellow-shafted) flicker for Valentine's Day (Bayou Sauvage NWR)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Northern (yellow-shafted) flicker 2 (Washington Parish)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Northern mockingbird (Audubon Park)
Nikon D200 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

Northern parula (Maurepas Swamp WMA)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Palm warbler (English Turn Wilderness Park)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Pearl River State Wildlife Management Area (note the prothonotary warbler)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Pileated woodpecker (Washington Parish)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Pileated woodpeckers in flight (Washington Parish)
I spooked a pair of pileated woodpeckers in the woods, but the female (top) took flight about 10 seconds before the male (bottom). Amazingly, I caught both birds in almost exactly the same positions in each of their three photographs!
Nikon D200 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

Pileated woodpecker threesome (Big Branch Marsh NWR)
Two male pileated woodpeckers fight it out while a female watches. These are not great photographs, but I doubt that I'll ever again get three pileated woodpeckers in a single frame!
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4.5 EDIF.

Pine lizards (Eastern fence lizards) (Bogue Chitto SP)
Nikon D200 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

Pine warbler (Jean Lafitte NHP)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Pine warbler 2 (Bayou Segnette SP)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Prothonotary warbler (Bogue Chitto NWR)
Nikon D200 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

Prothonotary warbler 2 (English Turn Wilderness Park)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Prothonotary warbler 3 (Maurepas Swamp WMA)
Nikon D200 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

Red-bellied woodpecker (Fontainebleau SP)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Red-bellied woodpecker 2 (Jean Lafitte NHP)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Red-cockaded woodpecker (Big Branch Marsh NWR)
This is the only endangered species that I've ever photographed, but it is a common bird in Big Branch Marsh.
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Red-eared slider (Jean Lafitte NHP)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Baby red-shouldered hawks (Washington Parish)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4.5 EDIF.

Fledgeling red-shouldered hawk (Washington Parish)
Nikon D200 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

Red-shouldered hawk (New Orleans City Park)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Red-shouldered hawk 2 (Palmetto Island SP)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Reddish egret (Grand Isle SP)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Ring-billed gull (Grand Isle SP)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Roseate spoonbills and small egrets (Cat Island NWR)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Rough green snake (Washington Parish)
Nikon D200 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

Ruby-throated hummingbird (Jefferson Parish)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Rufous-sided towhee (Washington Parish)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Snowy egret (Bayou Sauvage NWR)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Song sparrow (Washington Parish)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Speckled king snake (Bayou Sauvage NWR)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Summer tanager (Ben's Creek WMA)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Swamp sparrow (Maurepas Swamp WMA)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Virginia opossum (English Turn Wilderness Park)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Western ribbon snake (Jean Lafitte NHP)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Western ribbon snake with too big a meal (Jean Lafitte NHP)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

White-eyed vireo (Pearl River WMA)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

White-eyed vireo 2 (Washington Parish)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

White ibis (Jean Lafitte NHP)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

White-tailed deer (Jean Lafitte NHP)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

White-tailed deer 2 (Jean Lafitte NHP)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

White-throated sparrow (Bayou Teche NWR)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Wild hog (Bayou Sauvage NWR)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Wild hog 2 (Pearl River WMA)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Wild hog 3 (a big one) (Bayou Sauvage NWR)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Wild turkey (Pearl River WMA)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Willet (in winter) (Grand Isle SP)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Willet 2 (in spring) (Grand Isle SP)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Willet 3 (in flight) (Grand Isle SP)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Wood ducks (English Turn Wilderness Park)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Wood duck 2 (New Orleans City Park)
Nikon D7000 with 300 mm f/4 D EDIF AF-S.

Six woodpeckers
All six taken with a Nikon D200 with 180 mm f/2.8 EDIF AF.

Wood stork (Cat Island NWR)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4.5 EDIF.

Yellow-bellied sapsucker (Washington Parish)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4.5 EDIF.

Yellow-crowned night-heron (New Orleans City Park)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4.5 EDIF.

Yellow-crowned night-heron 2 (Bayou Sauvage NWR)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4.5 EDIF.

Yellow-rumped warbler (Jean Lafitte NHP)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4.5 EDIF.

Yellow-throated warbler (Big Branch Marsh NWR)
Nikon D200 with 300 mm f/4.5 EDIF.