Hosted by the Cajun Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau, the seventeenth annual Eagle Expo returns to Morgan City the weekend of February 18—19, 2022, with a stacked schedule of educational seminars, social events, and birding boat tours, all set deep within the Atchafalaya Basin—home to numerous nesting Bald Eagles and other rare species of flora and fauna.
Currently, there are nearly three hundred active nests in Louisiana, with a large concentration in the St. Mary and Terrebonne Parish areas. Those who make their way down to the Gateway to the Gulf will have opportunities to meet other birders, take boat tours into surrounding waterways, enjoy live raptor demonstrations, and sit in on presentations from wildlife professionals. A highlight of this year's expo is Thursday’s "Wings to Soar" presentation showcasing an array of eagles, falcons, hawks, and owls at Patterson Civic Center.
What's In Store
The $45 registration fee gains you entry to the presentation and Friday night social at Lake End Park. Your ticket also gets you into Saturday’s seminars taking place at the Cajun Coast Welcome Center. Saturday’s programming will include presentations from Krista Adams of the Purple Martin Conservation Initiative, Erik Johnson from the Louisiana Audubon Society, and the Louisiana National Estuarine Research Reserve System (LA NERR) project by Justin Lemoine and Brian Roberts.
Award-winning nature and wildlife photographer C.C. Lockwood will also lead his annual photography workshop on Friday. The workshop includes a seminar at 9 a.m. at the Cajun Coast Welcome Center with a field trip to Bayou Black beginning at noon. The boat tour in Bayou Black will focus on birding and marsh landscapes. The workshop requires a separate registration. Contact C.C. Lockwood at 225-245-5008 or 225-763-1259 to register. Space is limited.
Other activities include two guided bird watching “field trips” on Friday and Saturday. Traverse the trails at Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge with a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service guide. The refuge is home to an abundance of wildlife, including neotropical songbirds, wading birds, waterfowl, and more. Or, you can opt to observe on a tract of land owned by the Green Foundation, comprising bottomland hardwood forest with wet sites that attract species like Great Blue Heron, White Ibis, Pied-Billed Grebe, Bald Eagle.
Birding By Water
Then, sign up for the waterway tour of your choice to see the American Bald Eagle up close. Tickets for individual boat tours range from $40 to $70 and registration is required. Space is limited and there are a set amount of tour time slots, so secure your spot in advance. Tour options include:
- Experience the Atchafalaya Basin ecosystem with John Burke, also known as “Captain Caviar,” in a small group setting through ten distinct terrestrial and aquatic environments. As the largest overflow swamp in the U.S. the Basin is home to more than 170 bird species, making it an important stop on the Mississippi Flyway.
- Led by Captain Ivy, the Bayou Long Tour will traverse various waterways including Lake Verret, Bayou Magazille, Four Mile Bayou, Grassy Lake, Bayou Cheramie, Bayou Milhomme, and Lake Palourde. Attendees can expect to spot Bald Eagles and their nests, Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Belted Kingfishers, White Ibis, and various other species.
- Captain Billy Gaston, swamp tour operator of Cajun Man's Tours, will journey into the backwater of Bayou Black. This tour will meander along the old oil and gas canals, giving visitors chances to see multiple birds of prey including Bald Eagles, Ospreys, and a variety of hawks. Great for families or groups. Maximum 40 people.
The expo offers special rates for groups of five or more. 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 or email info@cajuncoast.com.
Click here to purchase tickets and fill out your registration form. cajuncoast.com
Sponsored by the Cajun Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau
