Photo by Terrie Jacobson TYPICAL ROOKERY SCHEDULE Mid February – The first pair of Great egrets arrive around Valentine’s Day. More are close behind and begin nest building. Roseate spoonbills stagger their nests throughout the season, arriving as early as mid-January! Late February- Great egret pairs continue to...
BEST-IN-SHOW Great egret (Ardea alba) bathing Terrie Jacobson Buford, GA Canon EOS R5, lens RF 100-500 F4.5-7.1 L IS This year's photo contest judge, Jackie Kramer, struggled with selecting the final winning images as there were so many excellent submissions! Hundreds of images were provided from around the country for...
Photo by Jack Rogers Wood stork at Wakodahatchee Wetlands (because we love this species no matter their photo is taken!) The success of wading bird rookeries fluctuate annually due to water hydrology, human activity, and available feeding habitat. Ten species of wading birds now regularly nesting at...
BEST IN SHOW Roseate spoonbill Platalea ajaja Robert Van Mierop Palm Coast, FL Nikon D500, Nikon 200-500 f/5.6 lens The St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park was pleased to host its 28th Annual Photo Contest this year. Entries were received from all over the United States. Our Annual Photo Contest...
Our rookery peak nest count varies between 400-800 nests annually. Wading bird reproduction is dependent on habitat, water table depth, and prey availability. The chart below covers the last decade, developed by our hard-working rookery crew data collectors! 2021 turned out to be an "average"...
BEST-IN-SHOW Roseate spoonbill Platalea ajaja Robert Van Mierop Palm Coast, FL The St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park was pleased to host its 27th Annual Photo Contest in 2021 after missing out last year. With hundreds of photos submitted, award-winning Florida nature photographer Jack Rogers was challenged by the submission...
Photo by Catherine Calabria Article by Sylvia Van Boskirk, Rookery Intern Even though this has been an unusual year for humans, it was business as usual for the birds! Our rookery was alive with activity throughout the spring and summer as the birds returned to court and breed. By...
Photo by Bill Chitty Article by Sylvia Van Boskirk, Rookery Intern As we enter the end of the 2020 wading bird nesting season, now is a good time to look back on the history of a certain species in our rookery. The Roseate Spoonbill, which is designated as...
Little blue heron pair Photo by Susan Jarrett This year's nesting season was a bit more out-of-the-ordinary. Though we always joke around that we are not privy to their schedules, a typical pattern has emerged over the years allowing us to guesstimate fairly accurately about who...