There’s a lot going on in the rookery. Everyone has chicks except for the Cattle Egrets. Some of the Cattle Egrets have eggs while some aren’t quite there yet but they nest further from the boardwalk so it may be difficult to tell when our first chicks arrive. The Tri-colored Herons seemed to nest all at the same time with most of the chicks hatching within a short window. They are very well mannered; the adults make no more than a beak clap and I’ve only heard the chicks make a quiet, raspy call. Many of the Snowy Egrets have chicks as well. Some are already venturing out on branches. An interesting observation: there is a surprising amount of variation in beak and leg color (yellow to black) both between and even within the nests. The Great Egrets are doing well. Many chicks are almost as big as the adults but we do have some late nesters that are on eggs! Sibling rivalry is apparent in some nests. The Anhinga’s and Wood Storks have all hatched from what I can tell. The Anhinga’s chicks are a fluffy, smooth tan and white color, very elegant looking. I even saw one with its wings open to the sun just like the adults. The Wood Storks chicks are white balls of feathers and when they’re hungry, all the neighbors know it. Lastly, there are a few Little Blue Herons nests but they are well hidden and hard to find. Happy Birding!

Adam

 

That’s Right!  Gatorland’s popular birding and photography program is back for 2012.  From February through July, photographers and birding enthusiasts can enter the park at 7:30 am and stay until dusk on every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The famous Gatorland Bird Rookery was created in 1991 as an alligator breeding marsh.  This unique habitat has grown into one of the largest and most accessible wading bird rookeries in Florida.  Today, this area provides a protected nesting, foraging, and roosting area to over 20 different species of birds, many of which are listed as Endangered or Species of Special Concern.  Gatorland’s boardwalks provide birders and photographers with close access to these incredible birds, allowing people to safely observe them and capture stunning photographs.

(**Please meet at the South Gate for Early and Late entry.**)

To accommodate your individual opportunities to visit the park, Gatorland is offering a variety of passes, each package follows the guidelines above:

2012 Annual Photo Pass ($99.99):  This pass provides daily admission to Gatorland for a full year from the date of purchase.  Annual Photo Pass holders also get:  Unlimited early and late entry on Friday through Sunday from February through July 2012.
Click here to purchase the Annual Photo pass!

2012 Annual Senior Photo Pass ($79.99):  For our visitors that are 55+ years of age.  All the same privileges of the Annual Photo Pass, but at a 20% savings.
Only available for purchase at admissions with ID.

 2012 Single Day Photo Pass ($29.99): This pass provides a one-day admission with early at 7:30 am and late access until dusk on the day of your visit.
Click here to purchase the Single Day Photo Pass!

2012 Early Access ($10.00):  For just $10.00, visitors can upgrade their single day ticket and enter the park at 7:30 am.  This upgrade can also be used by those guests with a Gatorland Annual Pass.
Not available for online purchase.

2012 Late Access ($10.00):  For just $10.00, visitors can upgrade their single day ticket and enter the park at 5 pm and stay late until dusk.  This upgrade can also be used by those guests with a Gatorland Annual Pass.
Not available for online purchase. 

Great Egrets are doing great! One nest with a large chick now has another egg! The egrets that were expanding their nest last week now only have two chicks but today I saw another adult expanding its nest with two large chicks. There are many Tri-colored Herons, Snowy and Cattle Egrets building nests and lying on eggs. There are three Tri-colored Heron nests with four eggs and one that I saw with five eggs! The Wood Storks have chicks that are a few weeks old. Anhinga’s are still incubating and I didn’t see any chicks. There’s another Boat-tailed Grackle nest just an arm’s length away from the boardwalk under the covered area; she has 2 eggs. Lastly, a Pileated Woodpecker landed on the east edge for a few minutes.

Adam Hall

Our first Great Egret chicks look like small adults now but it’ll still be a few weeks until they’re ready to fledge. Dozens of nests have eggs and/or chicks and there are still some unpaired adults displaying. I also noticed that we have lost a few chicks along the way; payment for the gators security services I guess. One nest at the north end has three large chicks and the parents are building the nest larger. I’m going to watch to see if this is something all pairs do or if they need to expand because all three chicks are large and healthy. The Snowy Egrets are by far the most vocal and active. They chase each other and make all their funny sounds. Many have eggs but no chicks yet. The Tri-colored Herons are doing very well. Many have eggs; one nest was reported to have four eggs. I saw an adult displaying by pointing his beak straight up and clapping it repeatedly. The Cattle Egrets are moving in steadily and there are a few nests on the north edge with adults lying down. The Wood Storks are still building nests. They grab bare sticks like the egrets but they also use leafy vines that look great in flight photos. The Anhinga’s are still keeping their eggs warm but I didn’t detect any hatchlings. Other birds to note: a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Ospreys, six Swallow-tailed Kites, and one Roseate Spoonbill that flew around and landed on the east edge. The gators are more active with the warm weather. The big males bellow often in the mornings and I noticed that their first two or three are the most impressive. Lastly, I noticed that the Boat-tailed Grackle nest that I wrote about two weeks ago apparently was the perfect foundation for a pair of Tri-colored Herons to build their nest on. Location, location, location, isn’t that right?

I spent some extra time in the marsh today. Great Egrets are doing very well with some still displaying and starting to build nests. Our first chicks are almost 4 weeks old now and looking awkward as ever with their big heads flopping around. Snowy Egrets are much more active now. Many are building nests and there’s already a nest with three eggs! The Tri-colored Herons came in full force these last two weeks. Some are paired and building nests. The Snowys and Tri-colors seem to nest inside the bushes instead of on top like the Great Egrets. The Tri-colored Herons seem to be more evenly spread throughout the marsh instead of packing into the north end. We have five female Anhingas on nests along the east edge, their mates hanging close by. Some Cattle Egrets look to be searching for potential nest sites. I was watching a female Boat-tailed Grackle for a few minutes. She had some nesting material and hopped down into some Taro plants where her nest is. A male seemed to be guarding the area and I could see the nest well enough to tell that there aren’t any eggs yet. Robins and Catbirds were eating the berries of the Brazilian Pepper trees at the north end. The Swallow-tailed Kites were soaring around. Wood Storks are doing well with a few more on nests. Lastly, one of our photographers showed me some pictures he took of a female American Redstart in the trees at the north end.

-Adam

 

Great day in the breeding marsh! It was mostly overcast but I counted around 50 Great Egrets lying on nests! There are still some who are displaying and nest building but there are probably a dozen or more nests with chicks. The Snowy Egrets, with their red ceres and orange feet, are more common and are displaying in their breeding plumage. I saw 25 Wood Storks and 4 were lying on nests. I first saw the Storks lying on nests on January 27^th. The incubation period is 28-32 days so we should have chicks fairly soon. The Anhingas are starting to display by shuffling their wings side-to-side and holding their tails and heads up. Some may be on potential nest sites. Still no Little Blue’s, Tri-colors or Cattle Egrets anywhere to be found. The Great Blue Herons are hanging out and I didn’t see any Cormorants gathering nest materials. We will hopefully have more baby Cormorants coming soon.

I didn’t have much time to spend in the marsh this week but I found time this afternoon to watch and talk to some of our photographers. The Great Egrets, as their name suggests, are doing great. The first two nests that had eggs this season now have our first chicks! The Wood Storks are still doing well. Spoonbills make their usual appearances. The Snowy Egrets are slowly increasing in number. Other species were around but it was close to sunset so hundreds of birds were flying in to roost. I’ve noticed that some of the Cormorants on the South Island are fledging. If you haven’t purchased a Photo Pass, now would be a great time to do so with all the eggs starting to hatch!

Adam Hall

 

It’s been just over a week since my last survey and we’ve doubled the number of Great Egrets lying on nests. There’s 28 lying on nests and when some of them stood up I noticed that many have three eggs. Some of the adults that have eggs are losing their bright green cere. They are now more of an olive with yellow eyes. Still others are displaying and building nests. There’s still two Wood Storks lying on nests but we now have 15 of them including at least six pairs, all on the east edge. I saw six Snowy Egrets hanging out mostly near the tower. I didn’t see any Spoonbills in the morning but one came in the afternoon and we’ve been seeing two or three at times. There doesn’t seem to be any change in our other species. Many of the alligators are starting to bellow which opens up more photographic opportunities.

Adam Hall

This week I saw 14 Great Egrets lying on nests and much more activity all over the north half of the marsh. There was much more displaying and birds chasing each other off of perches. For the half hour I was in the marsh, I didn’t see any other species of heron or egret but there were still 3 Wood Storks, two of which were lying down in their tree. There’s still only one Spoonbill. No change in the Cormorants and Anhinga’s in the marsh. On the south end of the marsh we had plenty of passerines including Robins, Catbirds, Grackles, Yellow-rumped Warblers, a male Cardinal and about 100 Cedar Waxwings! A special note this week: last night I was here until 8pm and saw a pair of Barred Owls near the Gator Wrestling Arena. They were calling to each other and I managed to take some free-hand long exposure photos with VR of one of them.

Adam Hall

Progress is evident out here. I saw eight Great Egrets lying on their nests this morning and more nest building, displaying, etc. I didn’t see any eggs because the birds didn’t stand but I imagine we have more eggs. The Wood Storks are still hanging out on the east edge. Cattle Egrets were flying over but I didn’t see any land. All the Snowy Egrets and Tri-colored Herons I saw were on the west edge of the North Lake. The Cormorant Colony on the South Island is still doing well. I saw six chicks and one looked close to fledging. There are about 10 adults lying on nests. Other birds for the day included Red-shouldered Hawk, 2 Limpkin’s, 1 Roseate Spoonbill, Anhinga’s, White Ibis, and some common passerines including 20 Cedar Waxwings that flew over. They’re one of my favorites!

Happy birding to everyone.
Adam Hall