Hearing bird sounds at the Sherburne Wildlife Management Area in the Atchafalaya Swamp was a reminder that spring is not far away. I had a little extra time to kill on a drive along I-10 from New Orleans to Lafayette, so I decided to exit and explore a road that was unfamiliar to me.
Most of the trees still have bare branches in mid-February, so this isn’t my favorite time of year to photograph and enjoy the scenery of the Atchafalaya Basin Swamp. But I decided to stop when I saw a small parking area and two benches overlooking the water along Bayou Manuel Road. I was treated to the wonderful bird sounds of the Sherburne WMA. I counted more than a dozen different sounds, coming from all directions. Occasionally I would spot birds flying from one branch to the next, but I mostly sat and listened.
Listen to the bird sounds at sherburne
I was only four miles from the I-10 bridge over the Atchafalaya Basin, but the sounds of traffic were gone, replaced by the chirping and singing of birds. The break was relaxing. And I found a second rest area another couple of miles down the gravel road. This one had an old wooden bridge with two benches perched above the middle of Big Alabama Bayou.
It was another spot to enjoy the quiet beauty of a mild February day. I decided to return again in the Spring when all of the tree branches are again covered with the green leaves.
Getting there
Take the Whiskey Bay exit off Interstate 10, located in the middle of the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge. The exit to the Sherburne Wildlife Management Area is located 30 miles west of Baton Rouge, and 30 miles east of Henderson, Louisiana.
Atchafalaya Basin Bridge, Louisiana
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