Babies, Bellows, and a May Workshop Announcement!
If you want to see some baby birds, Gatorland is definitely the place to be, and now is the time! We have several nests of Wood Storks with chicks of varying sizes, including the nest above that is best photographed early in the morning. If you’d like to see the baby Storks, just let me know and we’ll take you on a Wood Stork Safari! Currently, we have 21 nests of these endangered species along the entire eastern bank of the Rookery, with at least 4 nests having chicks.
The Green Heron nest in the south lake at the Early Entry area has hatched, and the youngsters are now old enough to come out and play. I’ve counted 3 juveniles, and morning is also the best time to capture images as they hang out on the east side of the papyrus island. There have been several pairs of adults flying around this area and I suspect a few more nests are either hidden or soon to be constructed. Green Heron activity should be very good in this area for some time.
Tricolored Heron chicks are now popping out throughout the Rookery, with several wide open nests available for viewing. It doesn’t take very long for these little fellas to get big, but don’t worry… we have lots of new nests under construction as well. The Tricolored Herons are still actively courting, with several nests under construction south of the Observation Tower. Nests with chicks can be found close to the boardwalk in the area around the North Gazebo.
The first wave of Cattle Egrets are now in the Rookery and actively courting and nesting, many in fabulous color with purple lores and red/orange beaks. Nest building is going on constantly throughout the day, and flight opportunities are everywhere! Most of the Cattle Egrets are found north of the Observation area along the western side of the boardwalk, and I estimate we have well over 50 pairs currently nesting within the Rookery.
The Spoonbills have been active mating and looking for nesting sites. Just when I think they have found a place and started a nest, they leave and look somewhere else! They do this every year before settling down… I just wish they would hurry up and choose a final nesting spot. Later in the day is the best time to catch the Spoonbills as they inhabit the eastern bank area across the water from the North Gazebo. We are averaging about 5-7 Spoonies a day, again late afternoon is your best viewing opportunity.
Late afternoon is also a great time to watch the best fishermen in the park… the Great Blue Herons. They have been quite active fishing in the shallow water areas of the Breeding Marsh, and have no problems wading amongst the alligators in search of fish. While they are not nesting in the Rookery, they are nesting somewhere in the South Swamp, and I believe their increased fishing activity is due to feeding their babies. Hopefully, they will one day return to the Rookery for nesting, but for now you can see them throughout the day fishing for Tilapia, with most of the activity in the later part of the day.
Several pairs of Osprey have also been actively feeding within the park, you are almost guarenteed to spot one of these beautiful birds with a fish during your visit. The Grackals are constantly harrasing them every time they come into the Rookery, but the Osprey pay them little attention as they concentrate on spotting a school of Tilapia. A few days ago, several of us were able to witness a juvenile Bald Eagle trying to steal a freshly caught fish in mid-air from one of the Ospreys. Considering some of the fish I’ve seen the Osprey catch, I’d be tempted to try and steal one them myself!
As we head into May the alligators within the Breeding Marsh have become very active, with the males and females courting and establishing their territories. While the gator courtship period normally starts in March, the prolonged winter we had in Florida delayed their annual mating period by almost a month. Now is a great time to witness the courtship of the American Alligator, and nowhere can you see this in such an “up-close and personal” natural setting than at Gatorland’s Breeding Marsh & Bird Sanctuary.
In the picture above, a pair of alligators engage in a courtship display of bellowing in which both males and females raise themselves out of the water and vocalize. The big fella in the back is Harvey, who originally came to us in 2005 from New York, where he lived for about 15 years in a small zoo in the basement of South Side Middle School in Rockville Centre. Harvey now resides out in the Breeding Marsh, and this is the first year I’ve seen Harvey actively courting with the females. As you can see, Harvey already has at least one girlfriend!
The alligator’s bellow sounds like a loud engine or rolling thunder, and currently this behavior is taking place almost every morning between 7:45 - 9:00 AM. When all the gators in the Breeding Marsh get going, it is almost like a scene from Jurassic Park… except this is no movie! You can literally feel the vibrations produced through the boardwalk as you watch the “water dance” around the bellowing alligators as in the photo above.
I would like to thank all of the folks who attended our first Workshop Weekend in April with guest instructor Robert Amoruso. Based on the positive feedback from our attendees and the response from many of you who were not able to make the first one, we will do it again in May! The only time we had available was Memorial Day weekend, so if you want to spend your holiday with the birds and learn something too, then sign up today as seating will be limited. On May 29-30 we will be hosting two seperate workshops to help you not only capture the best images possible, but how to make them better through post-processing techniques. Our guest instructor for our May Workshop Weekend will be Robert Amoruso of Wildscape Images, an Arthur Morris “Birds as Art” approved instructor and workshop leader.
Day 1 - Saturday May 29, 2010 - Field Technique (in-the-field and classroom training)
The Field Technique workshop has been specially designed to help photographers improve their image quality; both in composition and exposure under the direction of an experienced professional nature photographer. This workshop will help you to understand the importance of certain outdoor photography techniques such as composition, backgrounds, image edges, head and light angle, how to use fill-flash to tame high-contrast images, and how to use your camera’s histogram and exposure compensation to obtain the correct exposure.
Day 2 - Sunday May 30, 2010 - Workflow Technique (classroom training)
The Workflow Technique workshop has been specifically designed to help photographers improve their image quality through post processing techniques under the direction of an experienced professional nature photographer. This workshop will help you to understand which images are keepers and which are not, image editing, RAW conversion, and Photoshop post-processing and resizing techniques.
Workshop pricing is set at a special introductory rate of only $50 per person (per day) and includes access to the Gatorland Rookery for that day. You may purchase one day or both, however; space is limited and tickets will be sold on a first-come, first served basis. For your convenience, tickets may be purchased on-line at our webstore… simply bring in a printout of your confirmation upon arrival. Be sure to choose the Free Shipping option when purchasing on-line, as we will not be mailing the tickets to you. Tickets will also be available at our Admissions Gate at the entrance to Gatorland (subject to availablity).
For more information including Daily Agendas, please visit the May 2010 Workshop page.