A Dose of Louisiana NATURE!

This past weekend, I visited the Northlake Nature Center in Mandeville, Louisiana.

Photo by CPCarson

From their website:
"The Northlake Museum and Nature Center, Inc. was established in 1982 by as a project of the Greater Covington Junior Service League as an independent non-profit corporation directed to preserve, study, and publicly exhibit the natural and cultural resources of the Florida Parishes in southeastern Louisiana. In 1985, the Northlake Nature Center, Inc. entered into a 50-year lease with the State of Louisiana for a 52 acre tract of land situated along Bayou Castine on Highway 190 east of Mandeville across from Fontainebleau State Park, subsequently expanded to 400 ac, just 45 minutes from New Orleans. Situated in the heart of St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, it is also adjacent to Pelican Park Sports Complex and the 31-mile Tammany Trace Rails-to-Trails path."

Photo by CPCarson

Northlake Nature Center is across from the Fountainebleau State Park, and just down the road from Big Branch Marsh, which we also visited.

Photo by CPCarson

Aside from the mosquitoes eating us up, it was fantastic to be outside and to have a fun day of taking photos! My personal photo successes of the day are as follows:

A bird eating a frog - The spacey-looking other bird, who didn't look like he was paying attention, attacked the bird eating the frog and a battle ensued about one second after I got this photo at Fountainebleau State Park.

Photo by CPCarson

A Green Heron - I don't see them very much, but this little guy was stunning!

Photo by CPCarson

Dragonfly eye - a very cool closeup! I have always loved dragonflies. I used to sit on the back stoop of our house called "Seafair" on Daniel Island, SC (waaaaay before it was developed) and hold out my finger. One by one, dragonflies would rest for a spell. Of course I had to name them and my little self started out with such original names as "Bluey" and then "Greeny". As you can probably guess, other names included "Orangey", "Purpley", and "Silvery" etc.

Photo by CPCarson

Turtle under water - There was a baby turtle resting above water on a branch and I think this is its mother keeping an eye on him. I love seeing the shell under water.

Photo by CPCarson

Hawk in flight - This one is, well, over-cropped and grainy to say the least, but I still like it :-)

Photo by CPCarson

Red-eared slider turtle head up close - I've never ever noticed turtle pupils before, but they are wild! When zooming in, I saw him blink too - very strange, but cool!

Photo by CPCarson

Here is the whole album - it's on FB, but I made it public so you should be able to see it. 

Photo by CPCarson

Photo by CPCarson

Photo by CPCarson