Today's Nesting Birds at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm

One Great Blue Heron

The rookery is busy with nesting Night Herons. This is a Yellow-crowned Night Heron.

This Black-crowned Night Heron has a piece of down stuck to its bill.

Another Black-crowned Night Heron

I saw 4 Roseate Spoonbills still in the rookery at 9AM

Busy grooming

Great pics bsharf! I just love the Roseate Spoonbill, so unique looking!

Thanks for sharing your pics.

Love it bsharf. I like how the shot of the Blue Heron was taken, and the shots of the Spoonbills are beautiful.

Wonderful shots, bsharf. The last one of the Roseate Spoonbill looks like a ballerina preparing for a grand performance. Gorgeous.

Love going to the Alligator Farm!! lol

I loved seeing all your photos. That Spoonbill is such a pretty bird and I love all the herons. You really got up close to them. Great job.

The Alligator Farm has an elevated walkway over a lagoon, right through the middle of the rookery, just about at nest height. You can get excellent shots with a small telephoto lens, setting the camera on the railing or using a tripod. The birds become used to all the photographers, and go about their daily lives. I enjoy watching individual nests over the season. Last winter, one tricolored heron couldn't decide where to put her nest. Each time I went, she had made a new nest on the same limb, abandoning half finished nests. I think her mate was very patient to keep bringing new nesting material. By the time she finally settled on nest 4, which was no more than 5 feet from the walkway, the other tricolored mothers had babies. But she persisted and finally hatched two eggs.

Great shots of some beautiful birds Bsharf...love the Spoonbill! I would love to see these birds!!

That has to be so cool!