Live from the Rookery!
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!