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Ahh March! There’s no other month on the calendar quite like this particular month. There’s Mardi Gras, March Madness and the spring bird migration.
At the start of this week, March roared in like a lion when frigid temperatures hit the parish, but that didn’t deter people from taking part in a little revelry as they celebrated the days leading up to Fat Tuesday. In just about every town across coastal Louisiana there was dancing in the streets.
Let me tell you, people aren’t the only ones who dance at this time of year. March happens to be the month where amore is in the air for great egrets. The large white birds fan their tails like peacocks and bob their heads and bodies like a lot of folks along a parade route all while shouting, “Throw me something Mister!”
Late last week I contacted good friend and Secretary of Friends of Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge Donovan Garcia to take him up on an offer he made me during the Eagle Expo the previous weekend. Donovan asked me if I had ever been to the egret rookery on the refuge, and I told him no. So, last Saturday he was gracious enough to take my wife and I on a boat tour of our local national wildlife refuge.
Though I am a regular on the refuge during the spring, typically hiking and nature viewing, never had I gone deep into the interior by boat. My hope was to catch an egret doing a courtship dance, but it appeared they weren’t too interested in intimacy, choosing the expediency of nest building over romance.
We still enjoyed our time with our tour guide. If you spend any amount of time with Garcia, the one thing you’ll learn is he’s an encyclopedia of information related to the Franklin area. We departed one another, agreeing to check on the egrets later in the month.
March Madness doesn’t just apply to the basketball court when college teams take part in the frenzy of perhaps the purest sports tournament on the face of the planet. Basketball fans literally go crazy filling out their NCAA brackets and making predictions on which teams will make it to the Final Four. It’s great fun and something sports fans everywhere enjoy doing.
By contrast, you’ve got to be a little mad, getting up at 5 a.m., to go see some birds. But, that’s just what I did Tuesday instead of taking part in the local revelry celebrating Mardi Gras.
My goal was to drive out to southwest Louisiana and crisscross some of the roads around Gueydan near White Lake, where Mrs. Flores and I might get a chance to see a whooping crane and some other wading birds. You’ve got to drive far enough west where rice fields and crawfish ponds are the primary agriculture and not sugarcane.
As fate would have it, we did indeed stumble across a trio of whoopers feeding in a crawfish pond, and we were able to get a few pictures of them. We also saw flocks of snipe, white ibis, black-necked stilts, some great blue herons and plenty of great and little egrets.
From the White Lake area, we decided to return east and make a stop at Avery Island. The Bird City Rookery in Jungle Gardens is always an excellent spot to observe great egrets dancing and nesting in early March. The large white birds didn’t disappoint us, either.
My spouse and I weren’t the only ones to use their Fat Tuesday for a birding expedition. Terrebonne Bird Club President and Bayou Vista resident Paul Schaub got out in the woods, too.
Schaub enjoys looking at the different species of birds that are wintering in the state during March and also trying to catch a glimpse of any early spring migrants.Of his Mardi Gras trip to Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge, Schaub said, “I went to a few different units on the refuge. I saw 5 or 6 different sparrow species. I had a flock of cedar waxwings. I actually had a pretty good day. I saw like forty different species. The ruby-crowned kinglets are still around, your blue-gray gnatcatchers, a bunch of yellow-rumped warblers, gray catbirds – we saw a few of them – and a Hermit thrush. It was a pretty good day.”
Towards the end of March, prothonotary warblers and northern parulas will begin to show up, and when they do, they usher in a massive migration that really gets underway in earnest during the April.
Weather-wise, March roared in like a lion, and who knows what the rest of the month will be like. There’s one thing for sure with Mardi Gras, March Madness and the annual bird migration, March is a special month.
For those interested in joining the Terrebonne Bird Club, contact Schaub at schaubpaulcarol@yahoo.com or 985-519-0009.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Flores is The Daily Review's Outdoor Writer.

Harry “Put” and Lillian Rebardie were presented as St. Mary AARP Mardi Gras King and Queen XXXI during the 31st St. Mary AARP Chapter 4435 Mardi Gras Royal Court and Ball held Feb. 23 at the St. Mary Senior Citizens Center, home of St. Mary AARP, in Morgan City. Theme of the gala was “A Cajun Mardi Gras.”
St. Mary AARP President Faye Smith welcomed attendees. Master of ceremonies was Gordon Smith. The emcee guided the audience through the evening’s Mardi Gras royal court and comedy routines based upon South Louisiana personalities and legends.
Members of the court included dukes and maids Winston Morgan and Gwen Trahan, representing “The King of the Swamp” and “Jolie Blonde;” Carolyn Giandelone and Betty Vicknair, representing “T-Noon Thibodeaux” and his wife “Colinda;” Ronnie Ledet and AnnEtta Lombardo, representing “T-Frere Boudreaux” and his wife “Yvonne;” and Carl Thornton and Lynette Berthelot, representing “Handsome Jack” and “Marie Laveau.”
Entertainers from St. Mary AARP were Lou Campos’ Line Dancers and Don Campos as “The Rou-Garou.”
In keeping with the tradition of honoring outgoing royalty, St. Mary AARP Mardi Gras King and Queen XXX Bryce and Margaret Merrill were recognized.
The new royalty was presented keys to the city by Morgan City Mayor Frank “Boo” Grizzaffi III and keys to St. Mary Parish by St. Mary Parish President David Hanagriff. The Merrills presented gifts to the Rebardies on behalf of St. Mary AARP. Faye Smith presented gifts from the chapter to the new royal court.
Nicole Rebardie Hand, Sybil Rebardie Wiggins and Charmane Duhon made celebratory toasts to the reigning royalty.
Mona Richard, 2019 St. Mary AARP Mardi Gras ball chairperson, and the emcee thanked all participants and sponsors of the event.
Leading the court and audience in a “Second Line” around the dance floor was King and Queen XXXI in conclusion of the event.
Dance music was by the seven-piece band, “Five O’Clock Shadows.”

March 24, 1928 - March 6, 2019
Funeral services celebrating the life of Moise Joseph “Mo” Clement Jr. were held Monday, March 11, 2019, during an 11 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Baldwin. Following the Mass he was laid to rest in the Sacred Heart Cemetery. Father Cedric Sonnier served as the Celebrant for the Mass and conducted the services.
A gathering of family and friends was held Sunday, March 10, from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Ibert’s Mortuary in Franklin, with the Holy Rosary being prayed at 6 p.m. Visitation resumed Monday morning at the church at 8 a.m. and continued until time of service.
Moise was born in Centerville on March 24, 1928, the fourth child of ten children born to Moise Joseph Clement Sr. and Florence Clement. He passed away at Franklin Foundation Hospital at the age of 90 on Wednesday, March 6, 2019, just 18 days shy of his 91st birthday.
Mo, as he was affectionately known, had a quick-witted sense of humor and loved to pick and joke around. He retired as Maintenance Foreman and First Class Technician for Exxon Garden City Gas Plant at age 55 after 33 years of dedicated service. Not one for being idle, following retirement he went to work driving hotshot trucks and then later installed custom storm windows and doors. Some of his favorite pastimes were carpentry work, feeding and watching his birds and squirrels, and watching old western movies and TV shows. He also had a green thumb and enjoyed tending to his many plants. In his younger years he enjoyed shrimping as well as hunting and fishing. Mo will be deeply missed and fondly remembered by all who knew and loved him.
His memory will forever live in the hearts of his six children, Tracy Clements, Carrie Clements, Tamie C. Smart, Debra C. Frederick and her husband David, Cord Clement and his wife Veronica, and Toby Clements and his wife Aaron; his loving companion of 16 years, Anna Lear and her five children and their families; three siblings, Elise C. Sauce, Martha C. Barrilleaux, and Louis Clements and his wife Barbara; ten grandchildren, Jeremy Gaspard and his wife Shannon, Jeannie Hebert and her husband Stephen, Joseph Payne and his wife Sophie, Johnnie Adams Jr., Jesse Payne, Jake Clements, Jade Clements, Joram Clements, Jean Clements, and Sharona Brasseaux and her husband Danny “Boogie”; 23 great grandchildren; four great great grandchildren; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, family members, and friends.
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 54 years, Genevieve Mello Clement; his parents, Moise Joseph Clement Sr. and Florence Jane Stansbury Clement; one grandson, Joshua P. Clement; one great grandson, Damieon Gaspard; three brothers, Levy Joseph “Wacker” Clement, Sylvester Anthony Clements, and Horton Anthony Clements; three sisters, Dorothy C. Borruano, Rita Clements, and Marie C. Nini Guzzetta.
Serving as pallbearers were Jeremy Gaspard, Jake Clements, Jeannie Hebert, Johnnie Adams Jr., Jimmy Burgess, Bryton Vanhaverbeke, Craig Nini, and Wade Clements, with Louis Clements serving as honorary pallbearer.
Family and friends may view the obituary and express their condolences online by visiting www.iberts.com.
Arrangements were entrusted to Ibert’s Mortuary, Inc., 1007 Main Street, Franklin, La. 70538, (337) 828-5426.

Chitimacha Police Chief Hal Hutchinson reported two narcotics arrests Friday and the confiscation of over $13,000 in narcotics.
Travis Tripkovich, 30, of Investment Drive, Youngsville, was arrested Friday on charges of possession with intent to distribute Schedule II methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute Schedule II cocaine, possession with intent to distribute Schedule I marijuana, possession with intent to distribute Schedule I hash oil and possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled dangerous subject.
He was transported to the parish jail.
Bethany Montero, 23, of Printemps Road, Carencro, was arrested Friday for criminal damage to property, possession with intent to distribute Schedule II methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute Schedule II cocaine, possession with intent to distribute Schedule I marijuana, possession with intent to distribute Schedule I hash oil, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled dangerous subject.
She was transported to the parish jail.
According to Hutchinson, officers responded to a tribal business in reference to a possible theft. During the investigation, it was learned the subjects had damaged the property. Narcotics were also found.
The Chitimacha K-9 Narcotics Unit was deployed, and K-9 Dozer alerted on the vehicle. With the help of the K-9 unit and search warrants, the following narcotics were found: 87 grams of methamphetamine, 200.2 grams of marijuana, nine grams of cocaine and 60 grams of hash oil. The approximate street value of all the narcotics found is estimated at $13, 480.
The investigation is still ongoing.
The CTPD asks that anyone with information on this crime or any other crime to contact the police department at 337-923-4964. Callers can remain anonymous by contacting the police department though the reportit@chitimacha.gov email address posted on the department website or by calling the “Silent Witness” phone number at 337-923-4205.