As April comes to an end, the Gatorland Rookery has transformed into a giant nursery, with lots of chicks being born and some already close to fledging. The constant struggle between life and death is clearly evident as new chicks are born, and some are lost. Several nests of Tricolored Herons along the southern section have been wiped out by unknown forces, and are then occupied again by more birds. I have witnessed Tricolored Herons taking over occupied nests of other Tricolored Herons and Cattle Egrets, forcing the chicks out and pushing the previous eggs off the nest. This week two Wood Stork nests with chicks were found empty, with no chicks or parents to be seen. Predation by raccoons is a possibility, although it cannot be confirmed. During the past several days I have also seen a few babies taken by alligators as they either fell… or were pushed into the water. Nature can be cruel, but it can also be quite beautiful as new life is created.

The Spoonbills have at least two chicks in their nest across from the North Gazebo, and while the nest is somewhat hidden, you can occasionally make out the baby Spoonies as they are being fed. Despite losing all of the early Wood Stork nests, and two recent ones, the Wood Storks do have several nests with chicks and are still creating new nests. They continue to be very active in the Rookery and are constantly flying around.

As March comes to a close, things are just beginning to “heat up” within the Gatorland Rookery. March was a great month, with the arrival of the Tricolored Herons, Snowy Egrets, and Little Blues, as well as the return of the Spoonbills and our very first Limpkin nest. We have more Wood Stork nests than ever before, and they have been very active in mating, courting, and nest building. Almost every day seems to bring a new nest of Great Egret chicks hatching, and their constant cries for food fill the air.

As April begins, we should see the first of the Snowy Egret and Tricolored Heron nests beginning to hatch, along with the Anhingas and some Wood Storks. We now have two pair of Roseatte Spoonbills that have begun nesting within the Rookery, one pair is the same male and banded female from last year, the other is an adult with a younger bird not in full breeding plumage. While the new pair have not quite settled on an exact spot, last years pair have moved from the hidden area behind the West Cove and are now actively building a new nest just to the south side of their previous nest and almost directly across from the North Gazebo. While it is not in as good of a location as last year, it is much more viewable now! The past few days have brought a lot of flight shot opportunities as the birds carry material back to the nest.

The Limpkin has been consistently occupying her nest for the past several days, and it appears that she may indeed lay eggs. She is quite friendly, and will frequently come out to pose for pictures. It’s quite exciting, as we have never had any Limpkins nest within the Gatorland Rookery. The best part is, you don’t need a big lens to capture this interesting bird up close!

A couple of Red Shouldered Hawks have been reported making a nest in the Swamp Walk, and while I have not seen the birds personally, I have found the nest which is well under construction. Several pair of Osprey have also been flying in daily to fish within the Breeding Marsh, and this past Saturday some of us were witness to a successful Osprey dive just 30 feet from the boardwalk.

The alligators have become much more active in their courtship, and have started bellowing almost every morning. The large males have begun staking out their territories, and frequent head slaps can be heard throughout the Breeding Marsh. Love is in the air, and in the trees, and in the water. It’s Spring Time at Gatorland… and love is everywhere!

Great Egret activity continues to build with daily courtship, nest building, and rearing behaviors. The early chicks are getting larger, and more are being hatched every day. One pair of Great Egrets on the west side of the boardwalk between the North Gazebo and the Observation Tower are the most beautiful Egrets I have ever seen, each with the most striking red eyes and green lores. Here’s a shot of one of the pair taken in the early morning sun on Saturday:

The Snowy Egrets continue to strut their stuff… and if you love Snowies like I do, now is a great time to come and view some fantastic courting behavior!

The first week of our new “Dawn to Dusk” Rookery access has been just great, and we certainly look forward to having a fantastic 2008 Birding Season at Gatorland.

I haven’t given an update on activity within the Rookery for a few days, so let’s get caught up on the action. The Limpkins are not fully nested yet, although I have seen them working on and sitting in the nest, they do not occupy it consistently yet. They are active within the Rookery, and I caught the one above fishing for mollusks next to the Observation Tower.

We also have a new visitor to the Rookery, a Yellow Crowned Night Heron. This is the first time I have ever seen one at Gatorland… hopefully it will bring some friends! It has been seen at the South end of the Breeding Marsh around the South Gazebo.

This morning the Spoonbills decided to return, and I counted a total of 8 birds consisting of 4 adults and 4 juveniles. Two adults arrived together, and one of them was banded, which leads me to believe they are the breeding pair that nested last year. A Wood Stork is now occupying the site of their previous nest, I hope they choose a nice location for their new one!

One of the other adult Spoonbills spent all day in the Rookery hidden from site in the thick foliage. It may very well be choosing a nesting site, I just hope it picks a better one as it was not viewable from the boardwalk.

The Great Egrets are still nest building and courting with non-stop displays throughout the Rookery. We have over 75 nests of the Great Egret this year, many with chicks. The numbers of Tricolored Herons has increased dramatically, as well as the number of Snowy and Cattle Egrets. The Cattle Egrets have some beautiful color now, as you can see from the photo below.

The Little Blue Herons numbers are also increasing, and they should be nesting almost any day now. Several pairs were spotted near and around the South Gazebo area. The Glossy Ibis are still roosting across from the North Gazebo, and while their numbers are diminishing, we still have large numbers of White Ibis arriving to roost as well. The Great Blues are not going to nest for us this year, although they are very active within the Rookery. This fellow here caught a Tilapia next to the North Gazebo.

I should also mention that the alligators have begun their courtship cycle, so for those of you that like something besides birds, be prepared for lots of gator fights, mating and courtship behaviors, and of course… bellowing!

Just thought I would post a quick confirmation that we will still be holding a little “sneak peek” of the Dusk access program today at 4:00pm. It’s windy and cool, but the sun is shining bright and it should still be a great time for those that would like to come on over to Gatorland. Admission is only $10 and you can apply that towards a new Annual or Photo Pass.

An update on the Limpkins… yesterday I did observe the pair of Limpkins at the nesting site, and one of the birds was sitting on the nest, although when I checked back later in the day both were absent. I do anticipate that we will have our first ever Limpkin nest at Gatorland this year, and that they are just in the very early stages of nesting!

Reports of the Limpkin visiting the Rookery were confirmed this evening, as the photo above shows. Actually, there was not one… but two Limpkins within the Rookery, and while we cannot confirm an actual nest at this time, their activity and presence within the Breeding Marsh suggest that it might be a possibility. We have never had a Limpkin nest within the Rookery, although we have had them visit on occasion. In 2007 we had our very first Roseatte Spoonbill nest, so hopefully 2008 will bring another “first” with the Limpkins.

Speaking of Spoonbills, tonight we had some additional pink visitors to the Rookery with an adult and another juvenile Spoonbill arriving this evening. None of the birds were banded, which means the adult was either the male from last year, or perhaps a new bird (the female Spoonbill last year was banded). At this time, we now have four Roseatte Spoonbills within the Rookery, with the best viewing time in the late afternoon. There was some courtship display from the adult Spoonbill, and one of the juveniles was continuing to play with sticks and branches as you can see from the picture below.

I was able to see one of the Wood Stork chicks tonight, but the nest is too deep and the chicks too small to get a picture, it might be another week before they will be big enough to photograph. The Tricolored Herons are very active now, it’s almost like someone turned a switch on, with courtship and nesting taking place throughout the Rookery, including the South section. The Cattle Egrets are also actively nesting as are the Snowy Egrets and Anhingas. Still no sign of any Great Blue or Little Blue Heron nesting behavior, although the Little Blue’s numbers have been increasing during the nightly fly-in.

Don’t forget, our new “Dawn to Dusk” Photo Pass will be available beginning Saturday March 8, 2008 and can be purchased online or at the gate. For those interested in a “sneak peek” of the Rookery at dusk, come on over to Gatorland on Saturday March 8, 2008 at 4:00 pm. I’ll be giving a guided tour for those that would like one, and we’ll be staying until dusk for the nightly fly-in. Admission is only $10, and you can apply that towards the purchase of the new Photo Pass or Annual Pass.

This evening a pair of Roseatte Spoonbills were within the Rookery, with one moving around the east bank and occasionally playing with sticks. No actual nest building was done, and I believe the pair to be last years babies, now all grown up. While we have had one of the juvenile Spoonbills stay with us all year out by the Flamingo Lagoon, this is the first time we have had another show since its sibling flew away for parts unknown. This is also the first time I have seen any roost within the Rookery this year, hopefully a sign of good things to come! They posed for this picture taken around 6:00 pm today:

As March begins, the action within the Rookery begins to intensify with the arrival of the Cattle Egrets and Tricolored Herons which have just begun nest building. As you can see in the picture above, the Cattle Egrets have started their breeding coloration and are busy collecting nesting material.

The Anhingas are really into nesting gear now, and have actually taken over one new Wood Stork nest and several Cormorant nests as well. The Snowy Egrets are now in full swing with over 10 nests sitting and many more under construction. Their gurgling courting sounds can be heard everywhere!

Today’s Rookery count showed 70 Great Egret nests, many of which are just starting to hatch chicks. The Wood Storks also have a nest with babies located directly across from post E22. While I haven’t seen them yet, I can definitely hear them! There has also been a report of a Limpkin that may be starting to nest on the south end of the Marsh, just north of the South Gazebo. I did not see the bird, or a completed nest, but there does appear to have been some activity at the site, so we’ll keep our eyes open!

Our new “Dawn to Dusk” Photo Pass will be available beginning Saturday March 8, 2008 and can be purchased online or at the gate. For those interested in a “sneak peek” of the Rookery at dusk, come on over to Gatorland on Saturday March 8, 2008 at 4:00 pm. I’ll be giving a guided tour for those that would like one, and we’ll be staying until dusk for the nightly fly-in. Admission is only $10, and you can apply that towards the purchase of the new Photo Pass or Annual Pass.

See You There!

Walking around the Rookery on this Leap Day, I counted 63 Great Egret nests, with one of the nests having several chicks that hatched almost a week ago. Most of the Great Egret nests are concentrated within the north cove area and all along the east bank. The nest with chicks (viewable as a pre-set on our Gator Cam) is located on the east bank directly across from the northern gazebo. There are many nests located very close to the boardwalk, so you won’t need a fancy camera or lens to get a good picture.

The Wood Storks have produced seven nests so far, with a few more pairs likely to nest soon. All of the Wood Stork nests are along the east bank of the Rookery and easily viewable directly across from the northern gazebo.

The Double Crested Cormorant chicks are all close to fledging, with some nests already abandoned and occupied by Anhingas. The picture above was taken from the top level of the Observation Tower where two active Cormorant nests are located in a Cypress tree on the north side. The Anhingas have started nesting with over nine nests completed so far, most are located across from the North Gazebo on the eastern bank. Many of the Anhingas are in breeding colors as you can see in the picture below:

The Snowy Egrets have begun nesting, and their numbers are beginning to increase. Today’s count was around 25 adults and 6 nests, with more birds arriving every day. The Tricolored Herons and Little Blue Herons have not begun nesting, but are appearing in ever increasing numbers during the nightly fly-in. A few Cattle Egret have been hanging around the Cove area next to the North Gazebo, and may be staring to nest within the next few days. Quite a few of the Cattle Egret have breeding coloration, and are also appearing in ever increasing numbers during the nightly fly-in.

There were four or five Black Crowned Night Herons spotted within the Rookery today, as well as some Osprey fishing for Tilapia and quite a few songbirds, such as Robins, Catbirds, and Red Bellied Woodpeckers. I caught this little fellow eating Brazilian Pepper berries:

Wood Storks are large wading birds, easily distinguished by their dark featherless heads, long heavy bills, and white plumage trimmed with black. A symbol of Florida’s disappearing wetlands, the Wood Stork is now listed as an endangered species with widespread loss of wetlands over the past century greatly reducing the number of these birds. In the Everglades, the Wood Stork is considered an indicator species, and is closely monitored as a determining factor in the health of the entire Everglades ecosystem.

Wood Storks feed not by sight, but by touch, using a technique known as “tacto-location”. In the shallow and often muddy water full of plants in which it feeds, fish can’t be seen. Walking slowly forward, the bird sweeps its submerged bill from side to side. Touching prey, mostly small fish, the bill snaps shut with a 25 millisecond reflex action, the fastest known for vertebrates. Only seasonally drying wetlands concentrate enough fish to provide the over 400 pounds of food a pair of these big birds requires in a breeding season. Gatorland hosts a year-round colony of these endangered birds, which can be found throughout the park.