Photo by Charles Wesley Another successful rookery season has come to a close! The significant maintenance changes that occurred over the winter provided more nesting opportunities for the smaller wading bird species. This resulted in an increase of nests across the board over the 2015 nesting season....
By John Brueggen, Director and Gen Anderson, General Curator For many years, visitors to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm have enjoyed the amazing phenomenon of native Florida wading birds choosing our alligator swamp boardwalk area as a roosting and nesting site. The protection afforded them against tree...
Photo by Robert O'Toole This year's total nest count was a little on the low side, so we are working hard out in the swamp this winter to maximize the future potential of the rookery's nesting success. Major maintenance is long overdue in the swamp and...
Black-crowned night heron Photo by Catherine Calabria By: Julie Farrington Right now is a quiet time for the rookery, but there are still birds to see! Now is a great time of year to see the night herons. Both Yellow and Black-crowned night herons are spending their days...
This year was overflowing with Roseate spoonbill nests! We love that they decided in 2010 to finally begin nesting in our rookery. Their dynamic pink plumage is a welcome sight in the sea of egret white. MAX ADULT MAX NEST MAX CHICK Cattle egret 28 28 41 Great egret 174 106 167 Green heron 5 5 8 Little Blue heron 21 17 24 Roseate spoonbill 74 28 52 Snowy egret 143 92 197 Tricolored heron 113 85 151 Wood stork 112 68 170 TOTALS: 670 429 810 Photo by Kay Wells...
Photo by William Pearce After the banner rookery seasons of 2011 and 2012, with 818 and 704 nests respectfully, this year seemed so mellow and quiet. With a maximum of 463 nests counted, the 2013 rookery season still exceeded the rookery's 400 nest average. MAX ADULT MAX NEST MAX CHICK Cattle egret 74 60 128 Great...
Photo by Robert O'Toole The rookery is gearing up for chaos as we move into April! Roseate spoonbills began nesting early this year. Three nests have already fledged out and 4 more pairs are either incubating or have recently hatched chicks. The spoonbills are following the staggered nesting pattern of previous years. The...
Photo by Maxis Gamez The St. Augustine Alligator Farm is pleased to announce Maxis Gamez as our judge for the zoo's 20th Annual Photo Contest! Maxis Gamez is a self-taught professional nature photographer residing in Sarasota, Florida. He started photography as a hobby, but has now decided...
Photo by Jill Carney This year's rookery season started out strong after a mild winter. The Great egrets, always the first to arrive, made their initial appearance almost two weeks early. The season was off to a good start and the possibility of our biggest rookery season yet seemed probable....