Roseate Spoonbills

 It's mine! No, it's mine! Let it go! LOL Roseate Spoonbills colleting branches to build a nest.

Fl Rookery ~ Roseate Spoonbills and more

Egrets flying into roost at sunset

Wood Stork

St Augustine, FL ~ Alligator Farm

I'd heard about the wonderful Alligator Farm which has a rookery for the wading shorebirds in the spring including the beautiful spoonbills.  We went today and it was just incredible.

Roseate Spoonbills building nest

Great Egret bring back branches for the nest.

Wood Stroke gathering nesting materials.

Merritt Island, FL ~ Pine Flatwoods Trail

One of our target birds was a Florida Scrub Jay which would be another lifer for both of us.  There are several trails on Merritt Island where you can see Scrub Jays.  We decided we would walk the Pine Flatwoods Trail where we were happy to see a pair of the Florida Scrub Jays.

Florida Scrub Jay

Sanibel Island, FL ~ Ding Darling NWR

Willet

For a long time it was a dream of mine to travel the roads of Ding Darling NWR.  Today was the day to explore both Sanibel and Captiva Islands in FL.  Best of all I was able to purchase my Golden Age Pass here at the refuge which is good for life in any of the NWR and parks.  The main wildlife drive is 4 miles long and hosts a great variety of birds.  In addition there are several trails and other areas to explore though we didn't have time to hike as we planned to explore all of the Captiva and Sanibel in just one short day.  I was excited to have great looks at both Roseate Spoonbills and White Pelicans.  We saw several alligators and an otter also.

Roseate Spoonbill

White Pelicans

American Alligator