As March turns into April, courtship activity amongst the alligators in the Breeding Marsh begins to increase, with the large bull gators staking out their territories with head slaps and defensive posturing. Several of the big boys already have battle scars from territorial skirmishes this year, as the false charges and bluffs turn into real “battle royales”. Big alligators have tremdous crushing power in their jaws, and they will sometimes damage each other during territorial disputes, although fatal encounters are fairly rare.

The American Crocodiles are still mating, and we should hopefully have our first nest from the Breeding Marsh pair sometime in April. I am sometimes asked if the gators and crocs get along well together, and the answer is… yes! Alligators and crocodiles only occur naturally together here in the state of Florida, in areas of the southern part of the state with low salinity levels. While the crocs can live in salt water, the alligators cannot survive in it for long as they lack the salt extracting capabilities of the crocs.

Bird activity continues to increase within the Rookery as even more Great Egrets arrive to setup nesting sites. We have several hundred Great Egrets within the Rookery, and they fly around constantly providing the photographers great flight shot opportunities. Courtship displays are still constant throughout the day, as are the occasional squabbles over territory.

Fortunately, we haven’t lost any more of the Great Egret chicks as of this post, and the cries of hungry chicks can be heard throughout the Sanctuary. There are several “open” nests of Great Egrets with eggs very close to the walkway, and several more are under construction. Egret chicks are now popping out everywhere, many along the eastern bank of the Rookery.

The Snowy Egrets are also steadily increasing in numbers, with lots of courtship displays and vocalizations. We have quite a few nests along the West section of the boardwalk north of the Observation Tower, one near the north entrance of the Rookery already with chicks. I expect quite a few nests to have more chicks hatching within the next few weeks.

The number of Cormorants are also increasing, with fledging and nest construction often occurring in the same tree. While the Cormorants nest up fairly high in the cypress, we do have a few nests in the tree next to the Observation Tower that you can almost look into from the 3rd level. With the increase of Cormorants within the Rookery, there also comes an increase in the “drop factor” when standing close to the trees along the boardwalk. I always tell our visitors to make sure of where they are standing… or they may receive an unexpected surprise from above!

Speaking of surprises from above, the Swallow-tailed Kites are still very active around the Rookery, making occasional forays fairly close to the boardwalk. Most of the time though, they are flying high and around the southern Swamp. Actually, I’ve got a theory about the Swallow-tailed Kites at Gatorland which I call Godwin’s Law, “No matter the focal length used, the Kites will always be just out of range.” I know some of you can definitely relate to what I’m saying!

The Tricolored Herons are everywhere within the Rookery, with quite a few nests created along the southern section of the boardwalk past the tower. We do have several open nests with eggs on the West side of the Rookery close to the North Gazebo. Courtship displays, nest building, and disputes are constant throughout the length of the boardwalk. As with the Egrets, there are lots of Tricolored Herons flying about, providing excellent opportunities for flight shots.

The Cattle Egrets are now arriving in greater numbers, and have begun nest building with the largest concentration of activity along the West side of the boardwalk north of the Observation Tower. Many of these new arrivals are in great color… there’s nothing more magical than the transformation of the Cattle Egret from a “Plain Jane” to an absolutely gorgeous and colorful bird during breeding season. While I know I may be biased, I do think Gatorland has some of the most beautiful Cattle Egrets found anywhere!

The Moorhens have at least one set of chicks along the very southern edge of the South lake close to the Wrestling Stadium. I counted a total of 5 chicks with both parents actively caring for them. I hope they are good parents and keep the babies quiet at night, as they are very close to the Barred Owl nest. For now though, they seem to be doing well, and also provide some great photo opportunities!

News Flash from the Rookery… it looks like the Swallow-tailed Kites are back, as the first one of the 2009 season was spotted Wednesday, March 18 flying along the eastern side of the Rookery towards the South Cypress Swamp. Last year we had a pair of these kites that I believe had a nest in the South Swamp, and they would fly around and above the Rookery, normally too far away for me to get a really good picture. For the photographers… you’ll need at least a 400mm to get a good shot, and bigger is better in this case. The Kite seen Wednesday was alone, and flew around the Jungle Crocs area of the East Rookery for about 15 minutes before heading back to the South Swamp. While my 70-200mm lens can handle most of the Rookery, it doesn’t quite have the reach for the Kites… but here’s a shot of the Swallow-tailed Kite from Wednesday:

The Tricolored Herons arrived last week, and are slowly beginning to take over the Rookery. Many are making nests along the boardwalk south of the Observation Tower, including several around the South Gazebo. Several nests already have eggs, so we should have Tricolored chicks in about 3 weeks. You can expect lots of stick gathering and courtship activity for the next several weeks.

The Little Blue Herons have also started to arrive and have just begun nest building, with a few pair around the South Gazebo. The Limpkin female has finally had her mate show up, and they have been spending more time in their nest from last year. They arrive early in the morning, and you can definitely hear them when they approach… there’s no sound quite like the Limpkins! The Snowy Egrets are still courting and nest building, but the action for them has slowed down with many already nesting. The Great Egrets are also still courting and nest building, and new chicks are being born. Almost all of the original nests with Great Egret chicks are now gone or replaced, including the first Egret nest hatchling of 2009. Exactly what has happened to them is still a mystery, and while there has been one report of a Great Blue Heron taking a chick this year, I find it hard to believe they have eaten them all! The oldest Egret chick in the Rookery disappeared on Wednesday, March 18 sometime in the afternoon. I took the picture below of the nest Wednesday morning, but by the evening time the nest looked to be inhabited with a new pair of Egrets, as they were doing a good bit of courting.

As you can see, this was no small chick, and the parents were very attentive, so whether he was eaten by something or perhaps pushed out of the nest by invading Egrets we may never know… but something has been happening to a few more nests than usual this year. Nature can be definitely unpredictable, and unusual things occur sometimes when you least expect it. A good example are the White Ibis, we had been having hundreds roost within the Rookery, although on Saturday evening the numbers dropped considerably. During the Backyard Bird Count in February, I counted 730 White Ibis in the park, not including all of the birds arriving past 6:00pm. On March 14, we had less than a hundred or so show up… which just happened to be the same day we had a special tour for Orange Audubon members. It’s not unusual for the Ibis numbers to decline this time of year, as they begin moving to their nesting areas (they have never nested within the Rookery), but it is interesting how they just seem to stop coming in to roost all at once.

The Wood Storks have also been acting a bit strange this year, with their numbers down substantially from the same period last year. In January, I counted over 20 Wood Storks in the Rookery, and they were acting like they were scoping out nesting areas. However, for the past month only a half dozen or so Woodies have been in the Rookery, including this young Wood Stork hanging out in an old nest area from last year. Not quite sure where they went… but hopefully they’ll return and start nesting soon. At this point, we have no active Wood Stork nests within the Rookery.

One of the Barred Owls came out late Wednesday afternoon in good light, sitting up in a favorite Pine tree. They can usually be found just before dusk, hanging out around the Emu enclosure at the far South end of the park. The Owls spend the daylight hours inside of a dead Palm behind the Wrestling Stadium.

Despite some rather unusual things so far, the Rookery is active with lots of birds of different species nesting. There are still nests with Great Egret chicks, and within the next few weeks we’ll have Anhinga, Snowy and Tricolored babies. The Cattle Egrets should also be arriving shortly, as I’ve noticed roosting numbers are beginning to increase. I haven’t seen any with really good color yet, but it shouldn’t be too much longer before they become vibrant.

It’s been a little while since my last post, so I thought I would take some time this beautiful Saturday morning and give an update “live from the Rookery”. We’ve had several developments the past few weeks worth noting, so we’ll kick things off with the Green Herons. As you can see in the picture above, the Green Herons are building nests within the floating Papyrus islands located in the South lake section. The shot above was taken right behind the temporary ticket booths where we do the early morning entry.

In the early morning the Green Herons have been flying from the Papyrus reeds over to the Elderberry and Cypress trees to grab a stick, and then fly back to the nest deep within the Papyrus. The best light starts around 9:15am, and I have set out a nice picnic table across from the nest for folks to sit down and watch the birds fly while you have a morning coffee.

It does take a bit of patience as you will have to wait for the birds, unlike within the Rookery where there is action seemingly wherever you look. I’ve counted about 8 Green Herons throughout the South Lake section, with one pair making a nest in the Papyrus closest to the old ticket booths. They have been doing this routine every morning so far… but no telling how long the flights with sticks will last.

The Grackles are also in nesting mode, and have begun making nests all over the park. The females can be seen carrying long streamers of nest material, and are becoming quite protective of their nesting sites. In the photo above, a female Grackle is attacking an alligator’s tail that happened to be passing by too close to her nest. Not that the alligator cared, or perhaps even noticed the little bird dive bombing it! The males have begun chasing the Ospreys and Hawks, normally calling for backup help from other Grackles to handle the Raptors. The females will chase almost anything that comes too close to their nests, besides alligators, I’ve seen them chase away Tricolored Herons and Great Egrets trying to nest in the same area. They are totally fearless and tough little birds!

It’s really amazing to see a small bird like the Grackle take on a Raptor like the Red-shouldered Hawk above, especially since they sometimes fall prey to the very birds they chase. In the morning, the Hawks have been hanging around the perimeter of the Rookery, although the Grackles never allow them to hang around for too long. I have never seen any of the Hawks take a bird within the Rookery, but we have had a few nests of Great Egret chicks go missing. I have had one report (Thanks Wendy!) of a Great Blue Heron recently taking an Egret chick. It’s a tough life in the Rookery, and it’s certainly no “G” rated Disney Movie for the nesting birds, having to contend with Hawks, Owls, Great Blue and Night Herons, Raccoons, Alligators and even members of their own species. When nesting sites become a premium, many times birds of the same species will try and take over a nest kicking out the eggs or chicks of the other birds.

The Tilapia are also nesting, with beds being formed all over the park. You can get a great view of the Tilapia bedding at the same place as the Green Heron nest, within the South Lake right behind the old ticket booths. So… while you’re waiting for the Green Herons, you can check out the fish as well!

Within the Rookery, the male American Crocodile has also been checking out the Tilapia. He was a wild croc that was caught in Miami in April 2008 and brought to Gatorland, so he’s used to fending for himself. As you can see in the picture above, he’s quite adept at catching fish.

The Spoonbills have been active within the Rookery during the morning and late afternoon hours, with 7 Spoonies checking out different areas for what will hopefully be nesting sites. We have what appear to be 3 adults, one 3 year old, and 3 younger birds. I anticipate they will have a nest within the next couple of weeks… hopefully two nests!

During the week of Feb 15 - 21, the Rookery has experienced quite a few changes, with the Roseatte Spoonbills now appearing consistently in the late afternoon. The flock of 5 younger Spoonbills mentioned in my last update start appearing around 4:00pm each day, and have started hanging out in the tops of some old Wood Stork nesting sites. Well, at least one Wood Stork didn’t think it was an “old” site, as you can see above. The next day after the Wood Stork encounter, the banded female Spoonbill designated M5 (aka “Rosie”) flew over the park, but did not roost within the Rookery. She is fairly easy to spot, besides her shiny red band, she has a tendency to hang one leg lower than the other in flight.

The day after the fly-over, Rosie and six other Spoonbills showed up to renew their inspection of the Wood Storks nesting sites from last year. In the picture above, Rosie is the adult bird on the far left, and you can really see her adult coloration as compared the the other younger birds. While they moved a few sticks around, there was no concerted effort at nest building… it should be about two more weeks before they really get started. It was good to see Rosie again, as she has been the sole nesting Spoonbill for the past 2 years, producing two beautiful youngsters in 2007. During that time, she has brought a few friends with her, and I do believe we will see at least two if not three nesting pairs this year.

The Limpkin also has been showing up consistently, and has been spotted several times in her nesting site from last year. She can normally be spotted early in the morning in the South Lake close to the early entry gate, as well as in the South section of the Rookery. Late in the evening, she can be found roosting in a Cypress tree along the northern boardwalk. As of yet, there has been no sign of her mate.

I’m often asked by photographers which is time is best for visiting the Rookery, early mornings or late afternoons. To be honest, they are both good, and both completely different. In the mornings, we sometimes have a mist hanging over the water in the Breeding Marsh giving the area a rather moody feel. As the first light appears, the alligators slowly rise to the surface appearing as ghostly apparitions in the mist.

As the sun burns off the mist and clouds, the area becomes more active with the alligators searching out sunning spots to recharge after a cool night. The light is fabulous at this time, although you are somewhat limited to shooting the western side of the Rookery as the rising sun is in the East.

The alligators are also becoming a bit more active in the mornings, with the first signs of territorial behavior happening. While the large male alligators in the Breeding Marsh maintain their respective territories year round, they are becoming less tolerant of intrusions by other bull gators. I witnessed several charges by large males protecting their territory in the morning hours.

The late afternoon is my favorite time in the Rookery, as the skies fill with birds returning from their feeding areas to roost above the alligator habitat. White Ibis by the hundreds flock in to the Rookery, providing many aerial photo opportunities.

Flocks of Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Herons, Snowy Egrets, and Cattle Egrets also fly into the Rookery in the hours before dusk. The light in the late afternoon allows for shooting on both sides of the Rookery, and viewing the East bank across the water is best at this time. Since many different species roost along the East bank, this gives a great opportunity for catching some of the darker birds in very good light, such as the Glossy Ibis below.

Another plus for the evening hours is the beautiful sunsets to be found. There’s just something magical about watching the birds fly in against a colorful Florida sunset!