What a perfect afternoon to hang out in the Breeding Marsh at Gatorland.  As I look around I am amazed by the crowd of onlookers anxiously awaiting the arrival of the baby bird a few short feet away.

This is nothing new for all of us who work and visit the theme park regularly but for the guests visiting today it is a miracle taking place right before their eyes and they can only see it at Gatorland!

If you haven’t visited lately grab your camera and head on over.  Dozens of nests are packed full of eggs!

The summer heat is here, and it sure doesn’t take very long for it to get hot outside. But for those of you willing to brave the heat and humidity, the birding action at Gatorland is still a treat as we have lots of activity, from nesting birds with eggs to fledging birds learning to fly… it’s all here at Gatorland’s Rookery!

At this time all species have young at varying stages of development, and there is constant feeding throughout the day as the parents attempt to fill the insatiable appetities of their offspring. While most of the birds within the Breeding Marsh & Bird Rookery eat fish, the Cattle Egret feeds primarily on insects… and it takes a lot of bugs to keep the kids happy!

Speaking of taking a lot of food to raise their young, a pair of Wood Stork babies will consume over 440 pounds of fish before they leave the nest. With more than 20 nests of Wood Storks in the Rookery, over 8,000 pounds of fish are consumed by this species alone during the nesting season! Wow… now that’s a LOT of fish!!! We have lots of juvenile Woodies in the Rookery, with some already fledged. The two youngsters on the right in the photo below are now completely fledged, although they still return to their “old” nesting area to hang out between feeding lessons. You can get some great photos of the Wood Storks from the Observation Tower, with late afternoon being the best time as the nests are located on the east bank.

Juvenile birds are everywhere, and can frequently be found lining the railings of the boardwalk. There is no shortage of photo opportunities as the young Snowy Egrets and Tricolored Herons seem to love posing for the camera!

For most of the smaller species such as the Snowies, Tricoloreds, and Cattles, the juveniles will leave the nest as soon as they are strong enough to hang on to the vegatation. Most of these nests are so small, they cannot support the growing youngsters… so they have no choice but to move out onto the supporting branches. You might have noticed that the feet and legs of these birds mature faster than the rest of the body, this is so they can hang on to the branches during the daily afternoon thunderstorms that roll through the area.

On occasions, accidents due occur, and if a young bird does fall into the water, it’s normally the last mistake they will ever make. Waiting below are the ever-present alligators, hungrily anticipating such an event. This is the due reward for the alligators protection, and a perfect example of the needs of the many being fullfilled by the loss of a few.

Of course, there are some birds that brave the alligator infested waters to gather food, such as the diminutive Least Tern. This fast and agile little bird will fly over the water and suddenly dive down to snatch a small fish from the surface of the water. The Least Terns are still actively feeding at Gatorland, primarily in the waters of the northern Main Lake and Breeding Marsh.

There is one species of bird that frequents Gatorland that has no fear of being eaten by alligators, quite simply because it never gets close to them. Come to think of it, I’ve never actually seen one touch the ground! The Swallow-tailed Kites seem to always be flying high above the tree tops, and it’s a fairly rare occurance to see one perched at Gatorland. This week however, there has been much more perching opportunities as the juvenile Kites have fledged and are flying and perching around the entrance area to the Swamp Walk. At first I could not confirm they were fledgling birds, as they are the same size as the adults and all I could confirm was an increase in vocalizations and aerial activity. Earlier today I was able to witness feeding behavior and the still slightly downy underbelly of the perched Kites.

If you’re interested in seeing some great Swallow-tailed Kite activity, with them closer than normal… come on out in the early mornings. Activity has been starting around 7:45 AM, and late afternoon activity picks up around 6:30 PM. Best viewing area is around the entrance to the Swamp Walk at the far south end of the park. You can also see them from the south parking lot area at the Early Entry Gate.

The Little Blue Herons have several nests at the far south Gazebo, one of which has already hatched. Visibility on the hatched nest is not “photographer friendly”, although one nest has fair opportunities for getting a good shot. There are more nests of Little Blues directly across from the Observation Tower, some of which are in the process of fledging.

With all of the recent rains the plants are really taking off, and there are lots of great photo opportunities throughout the Breeding Marsh and Swamp Walk for plant pictures. From Button Bushes to Palms, there are flowers and seed pods everywhere!

Today’s Blog posting is coming at you live from the Gatorland Rookery, and as I sit on the bench under the North Gazebo the air around me is filled with the sounds of baby birds. Wood Storks and Great Egrets dominate the soundscape, although you can also hear a few Anhingas and Tricolored Herons kick in as a parent approaches with food for the eager chicks. As May begins to come to a close the numbers of fledging birds in the Gatorland Rookery begins to rise as the first wave of nests have reached the point of becoming flight capable. Several of the early Great Egret nests have already fledged with the juveniles now gone and learning to fend for themselves in the world outside of the Rookery. Most of the older youngsters are currently “branch hopping” as they have outgrown the confines of their original nests. If you would like to see all stages of baby birds, from hatching to fledging, now is a great time to beat the heat and come out to Gatorland!

Before I get started on the activity updates, I do want to remind everyone that Gatorland will be hosting another “Workshop Weekend” on Memorial Day Weekend. We still have some space available for anyone that would like to learn or improve upon their photography skills. On May 29-30 we will be hosting two seperate workshops to help you not only capture the best images possible, but how to make them better through post-processing techniques. Our guest instructor for our May Workshop Weekend will be Robert Amoruso of Wildscape Images, an Arthur Morris “Birds as Art” approved instructor and workshop leader. Pricing is set at only $50 per person per day, and you can choose one day or both… it’s up to you! If you are interested in attending, please purchase your tickets through our web store. For more information on the Memorial Day Workshops you can read my previous Rookery Blog post or visit the Workshop page here!

Also, don’t forget about the 2010 Gatorland Photo Contest… three categories (Birds, Reptiles, and Amatuers Only) with a top prize for each category of $200 and an Annual Photo Pass. Deadline for entries is August 2, 2010, so while there is still plenty of time left, August will be here before you know it! For more information on this years 2010 Gatorland Photo Contest check out the Photo Contest Rules & Regulations page here!

And now for the activity updates… and there is a lot of activity to update! We’ll start things off with the endangered Wood Stork, since I am watching a Woodie parent feed its babies straight across from me. This year the Wood Storks have 21 nests within the Breeding Marsh with most located along the East Bank. The heaviest concentrations of Stork nests can be found across from the North Gazebo and directly across from the Observation Tower, with spectacular views from the 3rd level of the Tower. It’s not often that you can look directly into a Wood Stork nest and watch the development of the babies from hatching to fledging, but you certainly can this year at Gatorland! The best time to view the Wood Stork nests is later in the day, as most of the nests are again located along the eastern part of the Rookery. The two open nests (Wood Stork duplex) that we can view during the morning hours is doing well, although we did lose one of the three babies that were in the right hand side nest. These are the oldest Woodie juveniles, and have been stretching their wings in anticipation of first flight. I estimate another couple of weeks and they will be fully fledged.

Speaking of fully fledged birds, the Green Heron juveniles at the South Lake (next to the Early Entry Gate) are now fully fledged and have been hit or miss the past few days as they are now on their own and actively searching for food. There are still several Green Heron nests buried deep in the Papyrus reeds in that general area, and I anticipate some new juvenile activity within a few weeks… perhaps less. There is still adult activity in this area, with the best viewing times in the late morning hours.

The Osprey have also been active in that area, and you are almost guarenteed to see one dive into the Breeding Marsh during the later afternoon hours. The Grackals give the poor Osprey no peace whenever they come out to fish, and will constantly pester the Fish Eagle as he surveys the area for schools of Tilapia. Despite the harrasment, the Osprey are quite active and seem to take the constant strafing by the Grackals in stride!

The Red-bellied Woodpeckers have also been very active this week on the west side of the Observation Tower, and have at least one active nest in the dead Palm tree next to the wheelchair ramp at the Tower. The active nest is located in the second hole from the top on the south side of the Palm, and several pairs have been frequently flying around, especially in the morning hours.

A Carolina Wren has an active nest located in the South Gazebo, and can be seen bringing in food to it’s hungry babies. The nest itself is hidden and not photographable, but the parents can be easily seen if you hang around the Gazebo for any length of time.

For the Tricolored Heron lovers out there, now is a great time to see the youngsters from the first wave of hatchlings out branch hopping and climbing around. The juvenile Tricoloreds can be found throughout the Rookery, and the second wave of nesting birds has arrived with many making new nests, and some even taking over existing nesting sites. A Little Blue Heron nest with 4 eggs at the South Gazebo was recently plundered by a pair of Tricoloreds. So far the nest has changed hands several times, and last look the Little Blues had reclaimed the nest.

Snowy Egrets are not as plentiful as last year, but we do have several nests that have already fledged, with parents leading the youngsters throughout the Rookery. It’s so much fun to watch as the parents stop to entice the young bird with food before flying off to another spot and repeating the process over again. The second wave of Snowies has also arrived, and you can still see some courting and nest building… as well as lots of aerial action.

Unfortunately, I have to report the Spoonbills have decided to do nothing this year, despite making several nesting attempts in at least 4 different locations. I haven’t seen any Spoonies for a few days now, and from what I hear they have gone up to St. Augustine for vacation!

If you want to see some baby birds, Gatorland is definitely the place to be, and now is the time! We have several nests of Wood Storks with chicks of varying sizes, including the nest above that is best photographed early in the morning. If you’d like to see the baby Storks, just let me know and we’ll take you on a Wood Stork Safari! Currently, we have 21 nests of these endangered species along the entire eastern bank of the Rookery, with at least 4 nests having chicks.

The Green Heron nest in the south lake at the Early Entry area has hatched, and the youngsters are now old enough to come out and play. I’ve counted 3 juveniles, and morning is also the best time to capture images as they hang out on the east side of the papyrus island. There have been several pairs of adults flying around this area and I suspect a few more nests are either hidden or soon to be constructed. Green Heron activity should be very good in this area for some time.

Tricolored Heron chicks are now popping out throughout the Rookery, with several wide open nests available for viewing. It doesn’t take very long for these little fellas to get big, but don’t worry… we have lots of new nests under construction as well. The Tricolored Herons are still actively courting, with several nests under construction south of the Observation Tower. Nests with chicks can be found close to the boardwalk in the area around the North Gazebo.

The first wave of Cattle Egrets are now in the Rookery and actively courting and nesting, many in fabulous color with purple lores and red/orange beaks. Nest building is going on constantly throughout the day, and flight opportunities are everywhere! Most of the Cattle Egrets are found north of the Observation area along the western side of the boardwalk, and I estimate we have well over 50 pairs currently nesting within the Rookery.

The Spoonbills have been active mating and looking for nesting sites. Just when I think they have found a place and started a nest, they leave and look somewhere else! They do this every year before settling down… I just wish they would hurry up and choose a final nesting spot. Later in the day is the best time to catch the Spoonbills as they inhabit the eastern bank area across the water from the North Gazebo. We are averaging about 5-7 Spoonies a day, again late afternoon is your best viewing opportunity.

Late afternoon is also a great time to watch the best fishermen in the park… the Great Blue Herons. They have been quite active fishing in the shallow water areas of the Breeding Marsh, and have no problems wading amongst the alligators in search of fish. While they are not nesting in the Rookery, they are nesting somewhere in the South Swamp, and I believe their increased fishing activity is due to feeding their babies. Hopefully, they will one day return to the Rookery for nesting, but for now you can see them throughout the day fishing for Tilapia, with most of the activity in the later part of the day.

Several pairs of Osprey have also been actively feeding within the park, you are almost guarenteed to spot one of these beautiful birds with a fish during your visit. The Grackals are constantly harrasing them every time they come into the Rookery, but the Osprey pay them little attention as they concentrate on spotting a school of Tilapia. A few days ago, several of us were able to witness a juvenile Bald Eagle trying to steal a freshly caught fish in mid-air from one of the Ospreys. Considering some of the fish I’ve seen the Osprey catch, I’d be tempted to try and steal one them myself!

As we head into May the alligators within the Breeding Marsh have become very active, with the males and females courting and establishing their territories. While the gator courtship period normally starts in March, the prolonged winter we had in Florida delayed their annual mating period by almost a month. Now is a great time to witness the courtship of the American Alligator, and nowhere can you see this in such an “up-close and personal” natural setting than at Gatorland’s Breeding Marsh & Bird Sanctuary.

In the picture above, a pair of alligators engage in a courtship display of bellowing in which both males and females raise themselves out of the water and vocalize. The big fella in the back is Harvey, who originally came to us in 2005 from New York, where he lived for about 15 years in a small zoo in the basement of South Side Middle School in Rockville Centre. Harvey now resides out in the Breeding Marsh, and this is the first year I’ve seen Harvey actively courting with the females. As you can see, Harvey already has at least one girlfriend!

The alligator’s bellow sounds like a loud engine or rolling thunder, and currently this behavior is taking place almost every morning between 7:45 - 9:00 AM. When all the gators in the Breeding Marsh get going, it is almost like a scene from Jurassic Park… except this is no movie! You can literally feel the vibrations produced through the boardwalk as you watch the “water dance” around the bellowing alligators as in the photo above.

I would like to thank all of the folks who attended our first Workshop Weekend in April with guest instructor Robert Amoruso. Based on the positive feedback from our attendees and the response from many of you who were not able to make the first one, we will do it again in May! The only time we had available was Memorial Day weekend, so if you want to spend your holiday with the birds and learn something too, then sign up today as seating will be limited. On May 29-30 we will be hosting two seperate workshops to help you not only capture the best images possible, but how to make them better through post-processing techniques. Our guest instructor for our May Workshop Weekend will be Robert Amoruso of Wildscape Images, an Arthur Morris “Birds as Art” approved instructor and workshop leader.

Day 1 - Saturday May 29, 2010 - Field Technique (in-the-field and classroom training)

The Field Technique workshop has been specially designed to help photographers improve their image quality; both in composition and exposure under the direction of an experienced professional nature photographer. This workshop will help you to understand the importance of certain outdoor photography techniques such as composition, backgrounds, image edges, head and light angle, how to use fill-flash to tame high-contrast images, and how to use your camera’s histogram and exposure compensation to obtain the correct exposure.

Day 2 - Sunday May 30, 2010 - Workflow Technique (classroom training)

The Workflow Technique workshop has been specifically designed to help photographers improve their image quality through post processing techniques under the direction of an experienced professional nature photographer. This workshop will help you to understand which images are keepers and which are not, image editing, RAW conversion, and Photoshop post-processing and resizing techniques.

Workshop pricing is set at a special introductory rate of only $50 per person (per day) and includes access to the Gatorland Rookery for that day. You may purchase one day or both, however; space is limited and tickets will be sold on a first-come, first served basis. For your convenience, tickets may be purchased on-line at our webstore… simply bring in a printout of your confirmation upon arrival. Be sure to choose the Free Shipping option when purchasing on-line, as we will not be mailing the tickets to you. Tickets will also be available at our Admissions Gate at the entrance to Gatorland (subject to availablity).

For more information including Daily Agendas, please visit the May 2010 Workshop page.

Gatorland is pleased to announce the first 2010 Workshop Weekend for beginner to intermediate photographers. On April 24-25 we will be hosting two seperate workshops to help you not only capture the best images possible, but how to make them better through post-processing techniques. Our guest instructor for our April Workshop Weekend will be Robert Amoruso of Wildscape Images, an Arthur Morris “Birds as Art” approved instructor and workshop leader.

Day 1 - Saturday April 24, 2010 - Field Technique (in-the-field and classroom training)

The Field Technique workshop has been specially designed to help photographers improve their image quality; both in composition and exposure under the direction of an experienced professional nature photographer. This workshop will help you to understand the importance of certain outdoor photography techniques such as composition, backgrounds, image edges, head and light angle, how to use fill-flash to tame high-contrast images, and how to use your camera’s histogram and exposure compensation to obtain the correct exposure.

Day 2 - Sunday April 25, 2010 - Workflow Technique (classroom training)

The Workflow Technique workshop has been specifically designed to help photographers improve their image quality through post processing techniques under the direction of an experienced professional nature photographer. This workshop will help you to understand which images are keepers and which are not, image editing, RAW conversion, and Photoshop post-processing and resizing techniques.

Workshop pricing is set at a special introductory rate of only $50 per person (per day) and includes access to the Gatorland Rookery for that day. You may purchase one day or both, however; space is limited and tickets will be sold on a first-come, first served basis. For your convenience, tickets may be purchased on-line at our webstore… simply bring in a printout of your confirmation upon arrival. Be sure to choose the Free Shipping option when purchasing on-line, as we will not be mailing the tickets to you. Tickets will also be available at our Admissions Gate at the entrance to Gatorland (subject to availablity).

For more information including Daily Agendas, please visit the April 2010 Workshop page

Now that the cold weather in Florida has gone, the bird activity within the Rookery has picked up dramatically, with Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron, Cattle Egret, and Little Blue Herons increasing in numbers. While we are still running about 3 weeks behind normal, many of the latter species have already begun nesting, and by late April the Rookery should be filled with lots of baby birds. At this time we have baby Great Egrets popping out throughout the Breeding Marsh, with several open nests close to the walkway making for great photo opportunities. The Great Egrets are still very active with nest building and courtship, as well as sitting on eggs and rearing chicks.

The Wood Storks are still active making nests and courting, and I recently heard some baby Woodies in one of the first nests built, they should hopefully be visible in about a week or two. The Wood Storks are quite active not only in the Rookery, but throughout Gatorland in general, where they seem to delight in trying to intimidate the guests into giving them the alligator’s hot dogs. Gatorland is a great place to see the different phases of Wood Stork maturation, with the feather headed juveniles (like the one shown below) slowly losing their head plumage and turning into the “bald headed” adults.

The Cattle Egrets have been slowly coming in for the past week, with several nests already under construction. Most of the Cattles are still “plain jane”, as their breeding colors have not yet reached their peak… I would imagine it will be another few weeks before they become vibrant! The Cattle Egrets seem to be more active in the later afternoon and early evening hours.

The Green Heron nest building has subsided at the South Lake area, although one or two can frequently be found in that location (just behind the old ticket booths at the Early Entry area). The Greenies have at least one nest in the closest Papyrus island, sharing the space with a Limpkin nesting in the same location. Late morning and early evening seem to be the best time to spot the Green Herons at this time.

Swallow-tailed Kites have been very active at Gatorland, with an average of 7-9 frequently flying over and around the South Cypress Swamp. They do make occasional visits into the the Rookery, but never stick around for more than a few minutes before flying too high or too far away. The best place to photograph these beautiful birds is at the far south end of the Rookery close to the Emus, sometimes the best place to see them is from all places the South Parking Lot!

Both of the Swallow-tailed Kite pictures you see here were taken with my 70-200mm lens as I was standing in the parking lot, but I do recommend at least a 400mm to really get a nice image. One thing about these Kites, they are always on the move, and it doesn’t take them very long to move a great distance. Many times you can catch them “eating on the wing”… in the picture below a Swallow-tail has just grabbed a small lizard and is having a snack as he flies past me in the early morning light.

Okay, I’m sure you’re wondering why I have a snake picture in the Rookery blog, as we normally don’t have too many snakes in the Breeding Marsh (wading birds and gators love to eat them)! In my last post I talked about exploring the park, and in particular visiting the Swamp Walk located in the South Cypress Swamp. On a recent Saturday I took a group of photographers on a little safari through the swamp when we came upon a juvenile Cottonmouth Moccasin basking in the sun a few feet away from the boardwalk. Everything in the Swamp Walk is wild and free, and sometimes you never know what you will see as you walk around. On our journey through the swamp we saw not only this snake, but Swallow-tailed Kites, Red-shouldered Hawks, Downy Woodpeckers, and assorted Wrens and Warblers. The next week another group was able to capture some fantastic images of Northern Parula in the swamp.

Speaking of groups, in March Gatorland has played host to several different photographer workshops, groups and clubs, including the Florida Outdoors and Gatorland Flickr Groups, the Orlando Camera Club, Naturescapes.net meetup, the Georgia Nature Photographers Assoc, Wildscape Images, and many more. The word has certainly gotten out about Gatorland’s Rookery and the wonderful display of nature to be found here, and it’s been a personal pleasure to meet all the different photographers and nature lovers from around the world that have visited Gatorland.

I’m sometimes asked if the Rookery can accomodate tripods… the answer is YES! When the Breeding Marsh was built back in 1991, it was envisioned as a wildlife viewing area complete with wide walkways capable of handling people, wheelchairs, strollers, and yes, even tripods. Photographic opportunities can be found on either side of the walkways, and all the while you are surrounded by some of the largest alligators in the world!

Besides wide walkways, the Rookery area has two covered gazebos complete with benches and power, as well as a 3 story Observation Tower that is wheelchair accessible to the second level. The Breeding Marsh & Bird Sanctuary area is roughly 10 acres in size and supports a population of 130 alligators, 2 American crocodiles, and a whole bunch of birds!

Some of the birds do feed amongst the alligators, such as the Anhinga below, however most of the wading birds feed either in our alligator-free South Lake or in various retention ponds and lakes found close by. Now that the weather is warmer and the alligators are more active, fishing within the Rookery can be risky business!

Ask and ye shall receive! In my last post I was wondering when the cold weather would end, and wouldn’t you know it, it has! While the past two days have been rather wet, at least it’s warmer, and the birds within the Rookery are now responding. This morning I spotted a Green Heron at the South Lake (right next to the Early Entry Gate) carrying a stick over to a papyrus island. They normally spend a couple of weeks making their nests, so be sure to check out the South Lake if you want some nice flight shots of the Green Herons.

I should mention that besides the Green Herons, there are lots of photo opportunities outside of the confines of the Rookery. Once the park opens at 9:00am, you are free to explore… we have a wonderful, long boardwalk through a native Cypress Swamp (whatever you see is wild, we don’t put anything out there), a flamingo island, parrots & macaws, a whole island of nesting cormorants and anhingas, and of course… a ton of gators and crocs. Sometimes, you don’t even have to leave the parking lot! Yesterday morning, I was just closing the early entry gate when a red-shouldered hawk flew over and landed on the back of my truck. It was terribly overcast with a slight drizzle, but I followed him out to the picket fence along HWY 441 and he seemed to enjoy posing for the camera.

As I was shooting the hawk (figuratively speaking of course!) three swallow-tailed kites flew overhead, but it was far too dark to get any decent images of them. Point is, don’t get locked into just the Rookery, there are lots of photo opportunities throughout Gatorland… sometimes in the darndest places! Of course, the Rookery is the prime spot, and with the warmer weather things are just now beginning to heat up. The Snowy Egrets have become increasingly active, and are now nesting and courting throughout the Rookery. Their lore color is almost at full breeding red, in another week and they should be strikingly beautiful!

Momma Limpkin has been sitting on her nest for several weeks, at last count she had 5 eggs, but the nest is unfortunately not photographable. Poppa Limpkin is always close by, and they constantly call to each other throughout the day. Another pair of Limpkins arrived recently, and have been very active around the Flamingo Island looking for a nesting spot. Right now you are almost sure to spot a Limpkin upclose and personal around Flamingo Island or the Observation Tower.

The Spoonbills have been arriving daily in the morning and late afternoon, with one pair courting and hopefully picking a nesting spot. The area they have been concentrating on is along the east bank almost directly across from the North Cormorant Shelter. If they settle on this site, it should be very photographer friendly, but you’ll need some big glass to get the best shot. I’d say minimum 400mm focal length will be necessary to shoot the nest. We are currently averaging 3 - 5 Spoonies a day in the Rookery.

A few more Tricolored Herons have been arriving, but still no sign of nesting or courtship. Little Blue Herons have been increasing in the evening, while White Ibis numbers have been decreasing somewhat at roost as they head out to their nesting areas. The Grackals are in full nesting mode, with constant courtship and nest building activity throughout the Rookery. The Grackal is completely without fear during nesting time, and will attack anything around their nest… even alligators!

For those folks who have visited recently, you may have images of our closest and most visible Great Egret nest with the three chicks. Last week we lost one of the chicks, and this week we lost another, leaving just one in the nest. The one remaining youngster seems to be very active and healthy, and as luck would have it, the nest directly behind this one has two new babies for your viewing pleasure.

Just a reminder that Daylight Savings time begins this Sunday, March 14, so while early entry will be at 7:30am, it will actually be a whole hour earlier “light wise”. This also means that dusk access is now a whole hour later, with sunset about 7:15pm. Boy howdee… I really hate losing an hours sleep!

The weather has been, well… just plain cold. As a result of this rather unusual cold Florida winter, the nesting season has been delayed for many of the birds within the Rookery. The Snowy Egret, Tricolored, Little Blue & Green Herons, and Cattle Egrets haven’t started nesting, nor have they gotten their breeding colors yet. The Wood Storks just began nesting last week, and the past few days the Spoonbills have been coming in to check out some potential nesting sites. I would say things are running about 3 weeks behind normal, but that’s not to say we don’t have nesting birds! The Great Egrets have been fairly constant since January, and we do have several nests with Great Egret chicks throughout the Rookery.

The Wood Storks have returned this year, and have recently begun nesting in their usual location along the northern east bank. Now is a great time to watch the Woodies courting, mating, nest building, and just plain flying around. At this point we have several sitting nests, with many more under construction. It’s great to have the Wood Storks back nesting again after their hiatus last year!

The Spoonbills have been arriving daily in the morning and late afternoon, and appear to be scoping out potential nesting sites. No sign yet of our original banded female M5, as all of the Spoonbills observed recently have no ID bands. The Spoonies are in great color, and love to pose for the camera. Flight shot opportunities are there daily, and are better in the late afternoon hours!

The American Crocodiles have been courting almost daily, with most of the courtship and mating behavior taking place on the north end of the Rookery north east of our North Gazebo. Despite the cold weather our crocs have done well, and nothing seems to be stopping their mating drive. Serious, our male crocodile can frequently be seen chasing alligators when he’s not out soaking up the sun. He’s the one with the big smile on his face in the picture below!

While the Tricolored Herons have not yet begun nesting, we do have several that are quite active fishing throughout the Rookery. They can be found along the East bank of the Rookery diving for minnows, as well as on the south end of the South Lake section where we come in for early entry.

The Black-crowned Night Herons have been very active, and you are almost guarenteed to see several in the early morning or late afternoon hours. They can be found on either end of the Rookery, as well as out in the main park, especially on the North Alligator Island.

The Swallow Tailed Kites arrived late February, and can be seen soaring in the sky above their usual haunt along the south Cypress Swamp. No sign yet of our Barred Owls, and there has been no noticeable activity at their old nest from last year. Lots of little birds in the mornings, including some Catbirds, Robins, Cedar Waxwings, Wrens, Warblers and even a parakeet!

Gatorland’s “Dawn to Dusk” extended hours program is now underway with the Rookery open every Wednesday - Sunday 7:30am to dusk now through July 31, 2010. Mondays and Tuesdays the Rookery will only be available during normal park hours (9-5). If arriving for early entry please park at the far south parking lot (look for the cream colored tent top) as we will be entering through that area. Please remember to be punctual, as we cannot keep the gate open past 7:45am. If arriving for dusk access, please plan on being at the park no later than 30 minutes before closing time (currently 5:00pm).

This past weekend (2/6 - 2/7) was our first under extended hours and despite the rather cool and breezy weather, the birds did not disappoint! At this point we have somewhere around 40 Great Egret nests, and they can be found displaying, courting, and nesting throughout the Rookery. Several Anhinga have also made nests directly across from the North Gazebo on the east bank, and Anhinga courtship activity is just now beginning to pick up. A pair of Limpkin are quite active throughout the day feeding on mollusks and calling back and forth. It looks like they have decided on using their same nest from the past few years, although they have been seen exploring some old nests from other birds. Small amounts of Snowies, Tricoloreds, Little Blues, and Cattles are available, and their numbers are increasing at dusk. While the Snowies are just beginning some limited courtship behavior, none of the other species have begun nesting. Of course, I’m not counting the Cormorants, as they nest all year-round, and while there are no Cormorant nests currently within the Rookery, they can be found in abundance over the South Alligator Island across from the Flamingos.

Flocks of White Ibis are still arriving by the hundreds at dusk, and at times the air is simply alive with activity as they fly around settling into their roosting spots. The Osprey are around and have been actively feeding, as well as a pair of Night Herons (a juvenile and an adult) flying about in the morning and late afternoon. We have had one young spoonbill posing along the East Bank and several fly-overs of more, but not much consistent Spoonie activity at this point. A couple of Glossy Ibis are also flying in at dusk normally roosting along the East Bank across from the North Gazebo.

Activity in the morning is pretty much limited to Great Egrets, Wood Storks, Anhinga, Limpkin, Great Blues and assorted songbirds as most of the roosting birds head out to their respective feeding areas. Late afternoon has the most activity as the roosting birds arrive, but regardless of when you choose to come, there is always something to see!

Mike Godwin
Gatorland

On Wednesday, February 3, 2010 Gatorland officially kicked off the 2010 Birding Season with the start of our extended hours “Dawn to Dusk” program. The Gatorland Rookery is now available for early entry at 7:30am every Wednesday - Sunday from now through July 31, 2010. Parking for early entry is at our far south parking lot where we will enter through the South Event Gate closest to the Rookery. We do ask that you please be prompt, as the gates do not remain open past 7:45am. Dusk access is also available every Wednesday - Sunday through July 31, 2010. We will exit the park through the south Event Gate (same place we enter for early entry), so if you are arriving for the afternoon you might want to park at the south parking lot.

Right now we have 3 species of birds nesting, Great Egrets, Cormorants, and Anhingas. The Cormorants are nesting on the South Alligator Island outside of the Rookery (across from the Flamingo Island). The Anhingas are nesting on the East bank directly across from the North Gazebo, while the Great Egrets can be found throughout the entire Rookery.

The Great Egrets have really started heavy this year, and already we have close to 40 nests within the Rookery. Courtship behaviors can be observed throughout the day, and the nest building activity is constant with the males bringing in sticks. Many nests have eggs, with a few already having 3 -4 pale blue eggs. The Snowy Egrets are slowly starting to increase in numbers, especially at dusk. I have noticed some courtship activity starting, so the Snowies will soon be joining the list of nesting birds.

The Limpkin have been actively looking around for nesting sites, and appear to have settled back at their old nest just before you reach the South Gazebo. This nest is not very “photo friendly” due to the foliage, or should I say branches. Most of the plants and trees are in winter mode, so the Rookery is looking a little bare in some areas. While there may not be leaves… there are still branches! The Limpkin can be found in the Rookery throughout the day, and if you talk to them nicely, they might even stop and pose for you.

Coming in early definitely has its advantages, as the lighting can be absolutely fantastic. The Great Egrets are in full breeding plumage and colors, and I find the early morning sun best to capture the sheer beauty of this bird.

The great thing about Gatorland is that the birds really don’t mind being watched or having their picture taken. Most of them act as if you aren’t there at all, which allows the bird watcher or photographer a rare opportunity to witness the bird’s behavior up-close and personal. All of the pictures in this post were taken with a 70-200mm lens (no teleconverter).

Dusk is my favorite time at the Rookery, mainly because of all the roosting birds that fly in to sleep over the gators. And I suppose there are a few more things you can do, like maybe take a picture of a sunset! So… what are you waiting for? Come on down and join the fun!!!

Mike Godwin
Gatorland