Baby Woodstorks

I finally saw a baby Woodstork!  Adults are usually in abundance but I had never seen a baby until this year (May 2010).  Their nests are usually up pretty high and this year they were on the other side of the rookery - the far side, which I can just barely reach with my 400mm lens.

I knew they were ugly because I'd seen a picture (but adorable at the same time).  I joked with my dad that they are ugly as babies (a face only a mother could love) and ugly as adults - not an easy life for this bird.

Rookery at Gatorland

This is the rookery at Gatorland in Orlando.  It's a paradise for nature photographers. 

This rookery is so active that you can find all stages - nesting, flight shots, eggs, babies, and juveniles, all within close proximity.  (Oh, yes, and alligators)!  You could reach out and touch the nests.  It is definitely worth the drive. 

It was this rookery that I saw my first egg hatch right in front of me, saw my first babies of several kinds - Tri-Colors, Snowy Egrets, Cattle Egrets, Comorants, and this past weekend I saw my first Woodstork babies.  I've even seen a baby Barred Owl here before. 

They have photographer passes so you can enter the park at sunrise and stay until sunset.  It's a great way to spend the day.

I've met some nice people at this rookery, photographers are always willing to share information and talk to each other about our equipment or our surroundings.

Breakfast for the Very Young

Look closely (above) and you can see the Egret provide food for the babies.  The baby Egret below has a small fish in it's beak. 

Roseate Spoonbills

One of the reasons I drove up to St. Augustine for the weekend (May, 2010) is that I heard they had about 60 pairs of Roseate Spoonbills in their rookery at the Alligator Farm.  I don't get to see Spoonbills all that often and I really love them.  From their pretty pink color to their unusual bills, I enjoy watching them.  And I don't have many photographs, and certainly not any I'd brag about.  While there were certainly not 60 pairs, there were a few, and I managed to get a couple of nice shots.

The picture below shows their pretty red eyes and the unique shape of their bills.

And their amazing wing span.  I love them!

Woodstorks - Nestbuilding

The Woodstorks were nestbuilding which gave me the opportunity to practice my flight shots.  This was at the Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, the first weekend in May 2010. 

Their wingspan is amazing.  I love them stretched to the fullest extent...

... and folded in like a black silky cape. 

The Rookery, St. Augustine

This rookery is at the Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL.  A boardwalk runs along a corner of the park where birds are nesting in the trees on either side.  It's full of photographers and a great place to spend the day.

A lot of expensive equipment is the norm.  My lens can hold it's own, but I don't use a tripod, I like to walk around freely.