Back to NOLA (yes, already)

OK, maybe I have a problem... Just a few days after our recent one-night trip to New Orleans, I found a reason to go back - a conference for work! So, we went back last Wed.-Sat. Unfortunately, I was in the seminar from 8:00 to 12:00 and 1:15 to 5:05 each day, but I still got plenty of good eats in (highest recommendation for this trip would be a small eclectic restaurant in East Carrollton called Boucherie).

Before we left Saturday, we took a nice long stroll in Audubon Park. This is a park with a huge jogging and biking track, a golf course in the middle, and the most amazing live oaks you've ever seen:

A few are swathed in Spanish moss.

There is also a large, long lake, with lots of birds, ducks and turtles.

Great Egrets nest here en masse, and it is a sight to behold. Last year when we went down for Jazz Fest in late April, the babies had hatched and were learning to fly. This time, mating and nest-making was in full swing. Notice the plume-y feathers and green area around the eyes - these features appear in mating season.

Watching these birds (like the one below) fly with branches in their beaks for their nests was awesome.

This one is also carrying a stick.

Only a few were already actively nesting.

There were hundreds of these birds. It was mesmerizing. If you're looking for a trip to take in late April or early May, go to New Orleans and check out the babies (and take pictures)! Unfortunately, I'm probably not going to make it back down there until the Louisiana Bar Exam (UGH) in late July.

Have a great week!