Third Quarter Report, 2010

In spite of the ecological disaster unfolding in the south eastern corner of the Louisiana,

Lake Martin remains the most unpolluted lake in the state.



And perhaps because of the oil spill, and thus people trying to avoid the dangers and depressive conditions in and around New Orleans,



we have had more people coming to do swamp tours here, and thus enjoying the birds of Lake Martin.



I do not want to take undo credit, but isn't it interesting, that I write these scathing articles in the spring and summer of 2009,



pointing to the correlation of lower water levels at Lake Martin and a decreased population of wading birds nesting in the rookery.



Then September 2009, for the first time in about 8 years, The Nature Conservancy does not pull the plug and drain the lake on schedule like it has since 2001,





and LO AND BEHOLD, spring 2010, we have more birds nesting than we had since Y2K.



Furthermore, it is now, the middle of September, and thus the end of the growing season for plants,



and so far not once has the state Wildlife and Fisheries come out and sprayed herbicide to control plants and decrease and destroy the ecology and natural beauty of the area.



Not only is an abundance of clean water important to the birds who nest at Lake Martin,



but also equally important is the floating mats of plants to host the food supply that feeds the wading birds who nest here.



So far it has been a good year at Lake Martin.



All photos are copyrighted and courtesy of Claude Nall