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Well, it’s that time of year again. The month of April is the most exciting month of the year for bird lovers who live in states along the Gulf Coast. During the spring migration, literally hundreds of species make their annual passage from Texas to Florida.
Some stay along the coast to breed, some stop over for a few groceries before moving further north, and some just keep right on going as far as the wind carries them — many to the upper reaches of Canada.
Someone who really gets excited about the spring migration is Basile resident Helena Putnam. Putnam has been a birdwatcher for over 40 years and the expectancy of the migration reminds her of Christmas.
Putnam said, “The anticipation of spring migration has always been as intense for me as the anticipation of the Christmas holidays. It begins in late February for me as I begin to intently listen for the first sound of a spring migrant song in my yard. The excitement rises as the month of March arrives and a sprinkling of migrant bird songs begin to drift in the wind. Then April makes its appearance and I begin careful preparations to head to the coast to witness spring migration in all its glory!”
Putnam’s use of Christmas is probably a good analogy to use when it comes to the neotropical songbird migration each spring. There are times when some of these songbirds light up a live oak tree with colors so vibrant they rival any Christmas tree ornament.
Active birders like Putnam are always probing and reading Facebook posts on pages like Gulf Coast Bird Club or Loose Alliance of Casual and/or Keen Birders of Central Louisiana. They’re also looking online at Louisiana eBird to find out who is seeing what and where.
By the second and third weeks in April the neotropical songbird migration is at its peak. Popular hot spots to see many of these migrants along the coast is Peveto Woods Sanctuary and Sabine National Wildlife Refuge south of Lake Charles. More easterly, a stop at Rockefeller Refuge usually provides good birding in April.
Those who go to Rockefeller should check out the wooded area across the road from the refuge headquarters building. In recent years, this area is where mist netting and bird banding has been conducted, as researchers evaluate the impact of declining oak chenieres on migrant species of birds that use them each spring.
Suffice it to say, where researchers are studying birds, chances are it’s a good location to find them.
East of Rockefeller stops at White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area’s birding area is known to produce a few migrants and further east, Jefferson Island is always good for large wading birds like great egrets, snowy egrets, cattle egrets, great blue herons, little blue herons and roseate spoonbills.
Someone who has noticed and watched birds all her life is Cynthia Bernard Sarver who is a member of the Gulf Coast Bird Club. Sarver says birding makes her think of her mom who enjoyed birds too.
Sarver talked about how when she was young, her family used to sit outside in lawn chairs, watching and talking about the purple martins in the bird house. But as time has gone on, Sarver says her love for birds has grown.
“I love studying about their habits, their varieties, and I get excited whenever I see a different visitor and when the hummingbirds start coming around again. They fascinate me, relax me, and bring peace to my life. Watching them fly, drink from the bird baths and enjoy the sun is pure and close to nature,” Sarver said.
There are a lot of birders who really score big during the spring migration. Most birders have “life lists,” where they check off the different species they’ve seen over the years. The spring migration is an opportunity to literally see a 100 or more different species in a matter of a few weeks.
One of those birders, Jay Huner, has written a book titled “Life Birds in Louisiana.” Huner has documented 100 or more species of birds in each of the state’s 64 parishes.
Huner said, “I have been birding for about 25 years. Spring migration brings birds that I have only one real shot at seeing in the year.”
Texas and Louisiana are considered two of the top birding states in the U.S. In fact, birding in Texas ranks among the highest activities in the state and is far above consumptive sports like hunting. What’s more, both states have their celebrations and festivals when it comes to birds.
One of the things I started doing several years ago is taking a weekend to bird out of state. My wife and I have visited Corpus Christi, Galveston and Junction, Texas, along with Oak Harbor, Ohio for the “Biggest Week in American Birding,” all chasing the April spring migration.
Excursions like these can be rewarding and don’t really cost a lot.
Closer to home is the St. Mary Parish Loop. In our local backyard there are quite a few locations where a day trip can produce scores of birds to check off on your life list.
Locations on the loop include Cypremort Point State Park, Atchafalaya Basin West Containment Levee at Charenton, Cajun Coast Visitors & Convention Bureau – Franklin Visitors Center, Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge, Cotten Road at Kemper Williams Park, the Berwick and Morgan City walking trails, Victor Guarisco Lake End Park, Brownell Memorial Park & Carillon Tower, and Stephensville Road (La. 1397).
It doesn’t cost a lot to get into birding. A good pair of binoculars, a standard bird book like Peterson or Sibley, and some decent hiking shoes will typically get you started. And what better time than the month of April when it’s best?

The Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus, is a highly destructive pest and an invasive species to the United States. In Louisiana, this termite was first reported in Lake Charles and New Orleans in the 1960s.
Since then, it has spread to 42 parishes. Because the Formosan subterranean termite has a larger colony size than the native subterranean termites, more damages are incurred in less time by this species.
Each year, $1 billion nationally is funneled into control of this pest and repair of damaged structures. Foraging behavior, such as searching for food, is essential for the survival of termite colonies, and this behavior plays a critical role in structural damage and economic loss. The comprehensive understanding of foraging behavior is an integrative component of termite management.
Subterranean termites nest underground and construct extensive tunnels in soil to search for cellulose-based food sources, including decaying logs, wooden structures and trees.
Termites are social insects that live in highly organized colonies. Workers constitute the bulk of the colony, and they are responsible for tunneling, food collection and feeding other colony members, including the reproductives (the queens and kings), brood and soldiers.
The foraging range of a Formosan subterranean colony may extend to 300 feet. Foraging is a collective effort and a complex process, and this behavior is influenced by a variety of social conditions and environmental factors. A larger colony constructs exploratory tunnels more efficiently. Once food is encountered, workers lay a scent trail, known as the trail pheromone, to recruit more colony members for food collection.
Subterranean termites are attracted to moisture in soil, but they are deterred by predators, which are mainly ants.
LSU AgCenter researchers are investigating how environmental factors, such as humidity, moisture and food availability, affect the survival and foraging behavior of the Formosan subterranean termites. Desiccation is an important environmental stressor, and substrate moisture either from soil or food is required for the survival and foraging activity of these termites.
Research findings showed that, without substrate moisture, workers and soldiers died of desiccation under 15% relative humidity within a day and did not survive for more than two weeks under 98% relative humidity.
AgCenter scientists further examined the effects of different soil moisture contents on termite survival, tunneling and feeding activity. An experiment was performed using a planar arena filled with sand, where termites were kept for 28 days under six moisture regimes, 0%, 1%, 5%, 15%, 25% and 30%.
The results showed that no tunneling or feeding activity was performed when the sand was completely dry (0% moisture). Termites were able to initiate tunneling activity at 1% moisture, but a minimum of 5% moisture was required for their survival and food consumption. Foraging activities in sand were optimal at 15% and 25% moisture.
The findings highlighted the importance of soil moisture for subterranean termite activity. Homeowners are advised to eliminate moisture problems around their structures, such as fixing dripping faucets outdoors and repairing leaks in the roof or pipes, to prevent subterranean termite infestation.
In addition, food deprivation is a stimulating factor for foraging in the Formosan subterranean termite. When termites were starved for one day, they tunneled more extensively and consumed more food, while starvation for a longer time (seven days) did not promote foraging activity.
Using termites collected from Baton Rouge and New Orleans, more research is being conducted to determine the molecular mechanisms of foraging behavior. Based on previous studies in fruit flies and honeybees, AgCenter scientists have identified a foraging gene in the Formosan subterranean termite.
This gene is highly conserved in animals and is a known regulator of foraging behavior in many insects. Future studies on foraging and other genes involved in foraging behavior will reveal new molecular targets that may aid in developing novel termite management tactics.
—Arjun Khadka and Steven Richardson are graduate students, and Qian “Karen” Sun is an assistant professor in the Department of Entomolog.
(This article appears in the winter 2022 issue of Louisiana Agriculture.)

Doris Ann Burris, 64, a native of Franklin and resident of Morgan City, died Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Ochsner Medical Center in Jefferson.
Visitation will be Saturday from 9 a.m. until funeral services at 11 a.m. at New Zorah Baptist Church in Morgan City. Masks and social distancing required. Burial will follow in Morgan City Cemetery.
She is survived by siblings, Birdella Jones of Berwick, Henry Burris and Brenda Green, both of Franklin, William Burris of Patterson and Chester Burris of Baton Rouge; and a host of other relatives.
She was preceded in death by her parents and four sisters.
Jones Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

DEAR ABBY: I am 15 and have a big problem. My mom and my dad have been married a long time. I was looking through pictures on Mom’s phone and found some very inappropriate and romantic texts from “Rob,” her business partner. Mom forces our whole family to hang out with Rob, and my brother doesn’t like him either. But anytime we bring it up, my mom yells at us and makes me cry. She wants me to be friends with Rob.
One time when we were all at a restaurant, someone asked if he was my dad. I know what she is doing with him, and I can’t focus on school because of it. I think my dad knows — kind of — but I’m sure he hasn’t seen the texts that I saw. I don’t want to ruin my family, but I cry about it every night alone. I know my parents won’t go to couples counseling, and I don’t want to hurt my brother either. Any help would be very much appreciated.
KID WHO KNOWS THE TRUTH

DEAR KID: Because this is causing emotional problems that are affecting your studies, it can’t be ignored. It is time for you to talk about this with a school counselor, a relative or a family friend for emotional support and guidance.
I also think at some point you should talk to your mother about what you found on her phone. Tell her that’s the reason you don’t want to be friends with her business partner. Your sense of right and wrong is valid, and don’t let her tell you otherwise. Do not be surprised if she’s upset about the fact that you know what has been going on, so be prepared for it. I am sorry you have to go through this. It’s a shame.

DEAR ABBY: A few years ago, my husband and I bought and moved into a very old, small house in our ideal neighborhood, which has beautifully manicured yards, nice people and a lot of diversity. We had a vision for this place, and it was perfect for us.
A friend of mine, “Maggie,” who I knew had a judgmental streak, repeatedly asked to come see the house, which I knew was nowhere near in the condition for visitors. After about her 10th request, I told myself maybe I was overreacting to her potential reaction, and I invited her into my home for a tour. Three years later, my husband and I remodeled our home to fit our vision. We are happy.
Six months after the remodel was complete, my husband and I were at a friend’s house and Maggie was there. At one point, Maggie’s husband commented to us that he couldn’t believe we had moved into that “s—- shack.” My husband’s jaw dropped. Maggie jumped up and said, “I didn’t call it that!” Of course it was logical that she did. She had seen it; he had not.
To this day, a year and a half later, I cannot get over why someone I invited into my home would say something so horrible about it behind my back or that her husband would repeat it among a group of mutual friends. My husband refuses to engage with Maggie and her husband. What should I do?
PROUD OF MY HOME NOW

DEAR PROUD: I am sorry you didn’t write sooner about this. If you had, I would have advised you to tell Maggie exactly how that incident made you and your husband feel. It is a little late for that now, but you would certainly be within your rights to clear the air if you wish. What they said was uncalled for.
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For an excellent guide to becoming a better conversationalist and a more sociable person, order “How to Be Popular.” Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 to: Dear Abby, Popularity Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447.