Here are the moss-draped oaks and cypress-tupelo swamp visitors to south Louisiana expect to see. The Barataria Unit of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park is located less than 20 miles from the Central Business District (CBD) of New Orleans, and affords visitors the most convenient chance to walk through swamp and marsh.
The park was established in 1978, and has several hiking trails. If you are in New Orleans with only a half day to bird, then Barataria, with its pleasant scenery and usually good birding, is the best place to go. Insect repellent is useful at almost any season.
The park can be reached by driving south on Barataria Boulevard (LA 45) from the town of Marrero. Continue south on LA 45 past the junction of LA 3134, past Ames Blvd. where the roadway narrows to two lanes, and past several subdivisions. Soon a sign announces the park entrance. You can get maps and information, and view interpretive exhibits, at the Visitor Center, which is located on the right a few minutes drive further on. A hiking trail called the Palmetto Trail begins behind the Visitor Center, and connects the center with the Bayou Coquille trailhead.
The Bayou Coquille Trail is probably the best birding trail. The parking lot for this trail is about 0.7 miles north of the Visitor Center, on the west side of LA 45. The trail starts in hardwood forest. From this point, the habitat changes first to swamp and then to freshwater marsh at the end of the trail. Most of the trail is either paved or boardwalk, and footing is excellent. Passerines can be seen in the trees and underbrush, wading birds are usually present at the end of the trail, and hawks and vultures soar over the marsh. Barred Owls can be seen early in the morning. Deer flies can be very thick in summer.
The Ring Levee Trail and the Wood Duck Trail are also good birding trails. They can be reached by continuing south on LA 45 a few hundred yards past the park headquarters. Turn left at the sign and cross a narrow wooden bridge. Past the bridge there is a pecan orchard on the left side of the road; this is worth checking, especially in winter. Continue through the gate to the parking area and park. Three trails begin at this parking area. If the weather has been rainy these trails may be very wet.
The longer Wood Duck Trail begins on the north side of the parking area on the left. It goes through an oak forest. Beware of deer flies during the summer. A similar trail goes to the south.
The Ring Levee Trail starts on the north side of the parking area on the right, and leads through a palmetto-grown transition area to a beautiful cypress-tupelo swamp. This is the most productive trail in the park in summer. Prothonotary and Hooded Warblers, Northern Parula, Pileated Woodpecker, and Acadian Flycatcher have been known to nest here. Armadillos along this trail are a visitor favorite, and nutria, turtles, snakes, and frogs are common. Moccasins are unusual but have been seen.
