Thanksgiving in Louisiana

November 2021  |  Louisiana

We decided to make use of the long weekend and spend Thanksgiving in Louisiana. We flew into New Orleans, and rented a car, driving up North for a couple of days. We drove up to Black Lake on our first day, and were a bit surprised by the chilling temperatures. On our 2nd day we stopped at Chicot State Park, which I remember from our last trip a few years ago.

View of swamp river in North Louisiana.
Wrapped In Mist
I noticed this river along the road on our drive up to Black Lake. It was a misty evening and the green color of the algae on the water surface and the colorful leaves of the cypress trees captured my eyes.

View of swamp river in North Louisiana.
Misty Evening
Another perspective of the river.

Chicot State Park

It was a beautiful and cloudy morning. The orange-reddish colors of the cypress trees forming around Chicot Lake looked stunning. Below are some pictures that I captured on this day.

View of Cypress Trees in Chicot State Park in Louisiana during fall.
Wild Swamp
I love the orange-reddish colors of the cypress trees at Chicot Lake. They are reflecting in the lake.

View of Cypress Trees in Chicot State Park in Louisiana during fall.
Colors Of Fall
The leaves in the tree in the foreground as well as the fallen leaves on the lake's surface are shining in an orange-reddish color.

View of Cypress Trees in Chicot State Park in Louisiana during fall.
Nature's Art
I love how this beautiful tree stands out against the background of cypress trees.

We went for a short walk in a nature and wildlife preserve, but didn't spot any wildlife.

Martin Lake

On our way back to New Orleans we stopped at Martin Lake for a boat tour. We were lucky to see lots of beautiful birds, and even an owl. This was kind of very special since I had been trying for a while now to photograph an owl. Unfortunately, it started to rain just a few minutes after we started the boat tour. It was nevertheless a spectacular boat tour with stunning views of the swampland and wildlife surrounding Martin Lake.

I was a little undecided whether we should just hike around the lake or take the boat tour due to limited time. Adam persuaded me to go for the boat tour, which I am very thankful for, because this was pretty much our only chance to view any wildlife at all. I was uncertain if I would get any shots in focus on the boat, but I must say the new Canon R5 animal eye focus, simplified things a lot, and made it possible to get away with a couple of good shots. I usually don't get that many shots in focus on a moving boat. Below are a few of my favorite animal shots from this tour.


An owl in the swampland at Martin Lake in Louisiana.
Looking Down On Me
This was kind of a special moment, when we noticed the owl sitting down on a tree in front of us.

White Egret in the swampland at Martin Lake in Louisiana.
Through The Moss
I like how the great white egret is revealed through the moss.

Gray Heron in the swampland at Martin Lake in Louisiana.
Gray Heron And Cypress Tree
A gray heron standing in front of a cypress tree.

Gray Egret in the swampland at Martin Lake in Louisiana.
Taking Off
A great white egret taking off.

American White Ibis in the swampland at Martin Lake in Louisiana.
Swamp Land
A great white egret resting on cypress tree branch.

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