Seeing all of Ingrid (Live,Laugh,RV) and Mona Liza’s (The Lowe’s RV Adventures – see list blogroll to right for links) bird photos near Galveston recently has reminded me of my first trip to a rookery. I think you both would love this place!
Back in May of 2011, we camped with friends John and Sherry Crowell in St Augustine, FL at Anastasia State Park.
John & Sherry Crowell, and John Ritger, Anastasia State Park, 5/23/11
Sherry and I got up early, and drove out to the Alligator Farm. The guys would meet us there later… After paying the admission fee, we walked out of the building along a path to the wooden deck where one usually views the alligators down below. A few tortoises, and so many alligators, and just a riot of noise and activity greeted me from the trees all around…
My jaw dropped open at the sights and sounds coming from over 600 occupied nests, many at eye level as I walked the boardwalk. Many kinds of herons, egrets, spoonbills, and wood storks… Nests in every nook and cranny in the trees… Different species nesting right next to others… Some nests with a mother sitting on eggs and others with hungry, crying chicks. Mother birds feeding baby birds… I had never seen anything like this before or since…
the Alligator Farm Rookery was full of photographers right after opening
Great Egret and babies in nest
Snowy Egret settling down on her eggs
Cattle Egret sitting on her eggs
Cattle Egret on eggs
Tricolored Heron and babies
young tricolored herons on nest
Tricolored herons waiting for food
Tricolored Herons
Snowy Egrets and her young
Tricolored Heron having a rough day with the kids…
Snowy Egret
The birds build their nests here because they are safe from raccoons and other tree-climbing predators. The baby birds have to be careful not to fall out of the nest as the alligators are patiently waiting for a tasty morsel and are often rewarded. While photographing birds and nests, and alligators, at least one heron fell and was instantly gobbled up. There are 2,700 alligators and all 23 species of crocodiles at this more-than-a-century-old attraction. There are ponds and marshes filled with ducks, swans, herons, egrets and other native wading birds. But today, I had eyes only for the rookery…
Tricolored Herons
Woodstork and young were hard to see….
Great Egret feeding her young
“Typical Rookery Schedule – Arrive with the birds! (copied from their website)
Mid February – The first pair of Great egrets arrive around Valentine’s Day. More are close behind and begin nest building.
Late February– Great egret pairs continue to arrive, along with some Wood storks. The Greats start to lay eggs.
Early March – Great egrets and Wood storks continue to flock in.
Mid March – Most Great egrets are incubating eggs. The Wood storks begin to lay.
Late March – Great egrets chicks start hatching out. Most storks incubating eggs. A few of the Snowy egrets, Little blue herons, and Tri-colored herons start arriving. The Snowys waste no time and immediately lay eggs. Roseate spoonbills are nest building.
Early April – Wood stork chicks start hatching. Great egret chicks are starting to get to a good size. Snowys, Little blues, and Tri-coloreds are laying eggs. Cattle egrets start showing up.
Mid April –. The Green herons start nesting within the park (not the rookery). Still lots of displaying birds of every species.
Late April – Rookery is mass chaos. Snowy chicks start hatching. Wood stork chicks are screaming constantly. Great egret chicks are pretty big. All of the smaller species have arrived.
Early May – There are chicks of every species in the rookery at this time, but still displaying from all species with the exception of the wood storks. Green heron chicks hatching out within the park. Spoonbill eggs due to hatch soon.
Mid May – The Great egret and stork chicks are giant. There are chicks of every size from every species. Many species still continuing to display.
Early June – Nothing has even fledged yet. The displaying has started winding down but there are still birds on eggs. Chicks everywhere.
July – Fledglings are everywhere. Displaying is over. Still a few nests with smaller chicks.
August– Season is over and we prepare for hurricanes.”
Sherry and I were finishing up when my daughter Susie called from Richland. I put it on speakerphone so we could both hear the news… Sherry and I were going to have our first granddaughter! Sherry let out a scream (it was her first grandchild), and we all went out for lunch to celebrate.
Fantastic post Holly. I can’t pick a favorite photo…. love the frazzled mommy. Snowy egrets are a favorite…. all the chicks – simply adorable. Whenever we do finally venture to Florida, this is going on my ‘must see’ list. Oh, and then to be blessed with such an exciting phone call, I’d say you gals had an amazing day 🙂
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Thanks Ingrid… It was a quite a memorable day. Before going to my first rookery, I had looked at egret nests and some of these others from afar, through binoculars, but I never had views like this… It is a very special place and it was so neat to be with Sherry when Susie let us both know she was expecting. (Sherry and John are our friends, and our daughter’s in-laws!) We may head down to Florida in the RV for some Spring Training games in 2015, and I should put the rookery on my list, too.
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Really interesting post! I would love to have the opportunity to go there as well! Sounds very worthwhile. Lynne
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Thanks Lynne… This was an amazing place and every birder should experience an active rookery. : )
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A special day indeed Holly. The rookery is calling me again too. I know of no other rookery where you are so up close and personal with the birds.
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Haha… You, too, Sherry! Hard to believe it was almost 4 years ago that we went together. You have been twice, as I remember. When did you go to the rookery the first time?
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Holly, your photos are fantastic! I’ve had this on my list of places to go ever since I first saw Sherry’s pictures. After seeing these we just may have to plan a trip there next year! Thanks!
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You will love the place, Beth… It is just amazing to see all the nests and birds up close! And, so many in a relatively small space. A birder-photographer’s dream. : )
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Oh my … these are wonderful photos. I have always been fascinated by these large wading birds but have never been close enough to a rookery to actually see the eggs and young. What a treat.
I was a bit confused as to how you and Sherry knew you were becoming grandmothers from the same phone call–figured you must be in-law related. Lovely post.
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Hey Page… Sorry if my post was confusing. Sherry’s son married my daughter and we have become good friends. They are our first friends who have an RV and like to camp, and Sherry is a wonderful photographer. Our relationship works well for the kids, too. Since both families live in Georgia, Susie and Kevin can spend a week visiting with both families at the same time. Susie & Kevin live in the Bay Area in CA so they don’t get out here often…
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No need to apologize–I was just a little slow on the uptake! How nice for all of you to be such good friends with your in-law family. And convenient …
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This was the first time I had been to a rookery, and I had never been closer than a boat and a pair of binoculars to wading bird nests. To see them feeding babies up close, and sitting on the eggs was an amazing experience for me and Sherry and I were there for hours, taking photos.
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Wow, over 600 nests and all those alligators and crocs. When I first began reading this I was think of Benzos Bend near Houston which I visited a few years ago. However this place has far more wildlife and looks fabulous. What a great find.
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Isn’t it? I was excited when a friend first told me about it and knew I had to go there.
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This place is truly magnificent, Holly! Is this a good place for hiking?
Not a hiking kind of place. These photos were almost all taken on a short boardwalk outside a gift shop. This area was my primary interest but there may be other short trails. Google the rookery and they have a good website.
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So sorry this is so late. I haven’t been on wordpress for awhile. It is not a place for hiking. Think more like a zoo…
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Never new how unique in look egrets were from one another. I love the snowy one🙂
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I would like to go sometime this year. I would love to see all the birds and nests again.
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