10th annual Eagle Expo slated

The 10th annual Eagle Expo and More, scheduled Feb. 26 to 28 in Morgan City, will feature seminars from wildlife and nature experts, a live raptor presentation, boat tours to view eagles, a photography exhibit and opportunities to meet fellow birders.
The Eagle Expo is a tribute to the return of the American Bald Eagle in Louisiana, which was removed from the endangered species list in June 2007. Laws banning the use of harmful pesticides such as DDT along with greater public awareness and education have increased the bald eagle population throughout Louisiana and the United States.
There are 284 active nests in Louisiana with a large concentration in St. Mary and Terrebonne parishes.
In order to commemorate this noteworthy event celebrating its 10th anniversary, the Cajun Coast Visitors & Convention Bureau is sponsoring an Eagle Expo photography exhibit Jan. 26 through Feb. 28 at its new welcome center, 900 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Morgan City.
Priority will be given to photographs taken during the last 10 years of Eagle Expos that reflect anything beautifully captured during the event, including all forms of wildlife, fauna of the region as well as the people who call the Cajun Coast home. All other nature-based photographs will be considered for remaining space. Photographs can be dropped off the week of Jan. 12 to 16 and should be picked up the week of March 2 to 6. For more information and a release form, call 985-380-8224 or email info@cajuncoast.com.
This year’s Expo will include a new presentation by Extreme Raptors Thursday, Feb. 26, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Patterson Area Civic Center. The presentation is an informational presentation showcasing an array of eagles, falcons, hawks and owls soaring overhead.
Private, parochial and home school students will have the opportunity to attend an Extreme Raptors presentation at 10 a.m. Feb. 25 at the Patterson Civic Center. There is no charge to attend, but reservations are required. Contact info@cajuncoast.com or 985-380-8224 to place a reservation. Extreme Raptors also will visit the following schools: Franklin Junior High, Morgan City Junior High, Berwick Junior High and Patterson Junior High. For more information on Extreme Raptors, visit www.raptorproject.com.
A photography workshop taught by renowned wildlife photographer C.C. Lockwood will be held Feb. 27. Lockwood is known for his numerous publications and books, especially his 11th book, Marsh Mission, which brought attention to the crisis of the vanishing Gulf Coast wetlands.
His photography has been featured in prominent publications such as the Smithsonian Magazine and National Geographic Magazine. The workshop includes a seminar at 9 a.m. at the Cajun Coast Visitors & Convention Bureau’s Welcome Center, with a field trip to Bayou Black beginning at noon. A boat tour in Bayou Black will focus on birding and marsh landscapes. The workshop requires separate registration and payment of $195. Contact Lockwood at www.cclockwood.com or call 225-769-4766 to register. Space is limited.
Tours to view eagles will take place Feb. 27 and Feb. 28. Featured waterways include the Atchafalaya Basin, Bayou Black, Turtle Bayou and Bayou Long. Tours will be 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. Friday, and 9 to 11 a.m. and 2:30 to 4 p.m. Saturday. Each featured boat tour offers something different to attendees.
The Atchafalaya Basin is the largest overflow swamp in the U.S. with 10 distinct aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Home to over 170 bird species, 50 mammalian species, 40 reptilian, 20 amphibian species and 100 species of fin fish and shellfish, the basin offers more than just eagles.
The Bayou Black Tour meanders through old oil and gas canals. Birds of prey including bald eagles, ospreys and various species of hawks call this place home. Other birds likely encountered include various species of ducks, wading birds and songbird species.
The Turtle Bayou Tour includes two small natural bayous that provide for fantastic views and local wildlife. Aside from eagles, other birds likely to be encountered include anhingas, double-crested cormorants, red-shouldered hawks, white ibis, yellow-rumped warblers, carolina chickadees and various species of terns and gulls.
The Bayou Long Tour includes various waterways including Lake Verret, Bayou Magazille, Four Mile Bayou, Grassy Lake, Bayou Cheramie, Bayou Milhomme and Lake Palourde. On this tour, visitors will be able to view bald eagles and their nests, blue heron, great egret, belted kingfisher, white ibis and various species of birds.
Friday evening will feature a dinner and presentation, “A Life Gone to the Birds,” by Al Batt at the Petroleum Club of Morgan City from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The presentation is part of the educational series sponsored by the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area, a program of the National Park Service, and the Office of Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne.
Programs in the series increase awareness and appreciation of the natural, historic and cultural resources of the Heritage Area. Presentations are posted at www.atchafalaya.org.
Batt, of rural Hartland, Minnesota, is a writer, speaker, storyteller and humorist. Batt writes four weekly humor and nature columns for many newspapers and does a show three times a week about nature on a number of radio stations. Batt has been featured in the Smithsonian Magazine, the Star Tribune, the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Bird Watcher’s Digest, WCCO Radio, KFAN Radio and Agri-Talk. He does commentaries for public radio.
Cost is $40 per person. Contact info@cajuncoast.com or 985-380-8224 to purchase tickets for the dinner and presentation.
A breakfast and a variety of speakers in the morning with boat tours in the afternoon are planned for Feb. 28.
Speakers for the morning seminars include Michael Sealy from the Department of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Erik Johnson, the director of Bird Conservation with Audubon Louisiana and co-director of the Louisiana Bird Observatory; Kathy Adams, a professional nature photographer; and a speaker from the LSU Raptor Rehab program.
Full registration includes the seminars Saturday morning, breakfast Saturday morning, a T-shirt, one boat tour and the Extreme Raptors presentation Thursday evening. Registration fees start at $115 for adults and $65 for children for full registration. One-day registration starts at $90 for adults and $55 for children which includes seminars, one boat tour and Saturday breakfast. Boat tours start at $60 for adults and $40 for children.
The Cajun Coast Visitors and Convention Bureau has partnered with the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, LSU Museum of Natural Science, Conrad Industries, Johnny’s Propeller Shop, Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, America’s Wetland Foundation, B&G Foods, Louisiana Office of Tourism and the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area to present the Expo.
For a complete event schedule, costs, registration forms and listings of hotel rates, contact the Cajun Coast Visitors and Convention Bureau at 985-380-8224, visit online at www.cajuncoast.com/eagleexpo or email info@cajuncoast.com.