When a storm blows in, it doesn't just impact people — it can also throw birds off course or drive them farther inland. Basically, birds can get turned around and end up where they shouldn’t be. That’s how we ended up with a flamingo last year here in New Orleans.
Hurricane Francine presented an opportunity to see rare birds in unexpected places.
As the storm’s track shifted, Peter Yaukey was watching closely, updating his own birding forecast.
"It’s all speculative. But we try to at least apply logic to it," Yaukey said.
The so-called dirty side of the storm was to the east, so Yaukey headed that way, stopping at City Park after the storm rolled through.
Aubri Juhasz caught up with Yaukey and other birders at City Park and New Orleans' lakefront. The park's golf course was flooded, which made it a great place to spot shore birds after the storm. There were birds everywhere — hundreds of egrets and ibis, and laughing gulls overhead. At the lake, they saw one bird you can't typically see from land.
This story aired on Louisiana Considered Tuesday. You can listen to it by clicking on the player above.
