The opening weekend of Gatorland’s Birding Season started off with a “ooohhhh” as photographers and nature lovers alike converged on the Rookery to take advantage of our new “Dawn to Dusk” hours. The birds certainly did not disappoint those in attendance, and the Great Egrets put on quite a show for everyone with their continuous courtship and aerial displays.

The Great Egrets are still the only nesting wading birds at this time, and their displays are constant throughout the Sanctuary, from courtship, to stick gathering, to fly-overs, there is always action happening somewhere! The number of nests continues to grow, and I did have the opportunity to confirm that we do indeed have our very first Great Egret chicks of the 2009 season, which you can see in the picture below.

The birds are not the only animals in courtship within the Breeding Marsh, as our pair of resident American Crocodiles also put on quite a display of courtship and mating behaviors, giving the gathered photographers a rare opportunity to witness something seldom seen. I should note that this pair of American crocs are the only two crocodiles in our Breeding Marsh area, and this is their very first year of breeding. The male was a wild croc captured in Miami last year after venturing outside of the established South Florida “croc zone”, and he joins a female croc that was already out in the Breeding Marsh. Looks like he’s having a great time in his new home, and I know “Mama Croc” is happy having some croc company!

Crocodile courtship begins with head displays which can be initiated by either sex. In the photo above, the female crocodile in the foreground approaches the male with open jaws. Despite the open jaws, this is not a threatening display, and is part of a complex ritual that will include head displays, body posturing, rubbing of snouts, and strength tests. Before mating, both alligators and crocodiles will force their prospective mate underneath the water, holding them down with the weight of their bodies. The actual mating takes place in deeper water and involves a coitus method with the male mounting the female from the top and occasionally shifting his body a bit to the side.

The Osprey have been active fishing within the Rookery, as well as the Tricolored Herons. The Tricoloreds can be found throughout the day fishing for minnows around the edges of the Rookery, and present some great photo opportunities.

While I haven’t seen the young Bald Eagle lately, I did spot a pile of empty mollusk shells within the Rookery, a clear indicator that the Limpkin is back. The Spoonbill juveniles are still coming in to roost, and we do have a pair of Barred Owls hanging around the South End of the Rookery, appearing just as the last bit of light escapes the western sky. While the Birding Season is just getting started, there are plenty of opportunities for both photographers and nature lovers alike within the Gatorland Rookery. Come on over, and see the show… I know you’ll have a great time!

Mike Godwin
Gatorland

This entry was posted on Friday, February 13th, 2009 at 4:28 pm and is filed under Rookery Updates. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.