May 19, 2008 Rookery Update
The new construction of our Gift Shop, Admissions, Meeting and Office areas is almost complete, and we’ll hopefully be ready to open the new buildings for Memorial Day Weekend. Contrary to some rumors, the iconic Gatorland “Gator Mouth” entrance was not destroyed in the fire, but has been resurfaced and repainted and is ready to welcome to welcome more visitors to our park.
The Rookery is bustling with baby birds of all shapes and sizes, from the tiniest newborns to fledging early nesters. Despite losing several of the earlier Wood Stork nests, we have quite a few Woody chicks throughout the Rookery, with several more nests still under construction.
The Osprey continue to be active, and can frequently be found diving for tilapia in the early evening. While they have never nested within the Rookery confines, the Osprey do have a nest within the nearby Cypress swamps, although it is not within a viewable area. I believe there is also a pair of nesting swallow tail kites within the swamp close to our border with Tupperware, as they can be frequently seen flying overhead.
The alligators are well into their breeding time, with lots of courtship, mating and territorial disputes throughout the day. The mornings are filled with the deep rumble of bellowing gators as they literally shake the boardwalk with their vocalizations. Beginning early next month the female alligators will begin to make their nests and lay their eggs.
Gatorland has plenty of photo opportunities for everyone right now… and it’s about to get even better! Starting this week, we will change our “dawn to dusk” access times from Tues-Sat to Wed-Sun. With the price of gas where it is, we know you need to get the most out of every trip, so we will now be open all weekend for those that wish to make the trip over. There is plenty going on these days, so right now is a great time to get a good mix of everything!
Mike Godwin
Gatorland