April 30, 2008 Rookery Update
As April comes to an end, the Gatorland Rookery has transformed into a giant nursery, with lots of chicks being born and some already close to fledging. The constant struggle between life and death is clearly evident as new chicks are born, and some are lost. Several nests of Tricolored Herons along the southern section have been wiped out by unknown forces, and are then occupied again by more birds. I have witnessed Tricolored Herons taking over occupied nests of other Tricolored Herons and Cattle Egrets, forcing the chicks out and pushing the previous eggs off the nest. This week two Wood Stork nests with chicks were found empty, with no chicks or parents to be seen. Predation by raccoons is a possibility, although it cannot be confirmed. During the past several days I have also seen a few babies taken by alligators as they either fell… or were pushed into the water. Nature can be cruel, but it can also be quite beautiful as new life is created.
The Spoonbills have at least two chicks in their nest across from the North Gazebo, and while the nest is somewhat hidden, you can occasionally make out the baby Spoonies as they are being fed. Despite losing all of the early Wood Stork nests, and two recent ones, the Wood Storks do have several nests with chicks and are still creating new nests. They continue to be very active in the Rookery and are constantly flying around.
