The Great Egret male brought the female a stick to add to their nest.
She accepted it with gusto and made quite a show of placing and re-arranging it.
Great Egret Pair
Now that they have a nest one of the two will likely stay close by, even before eggs are laid, to ensure an interloper doesn’t take possession of a ready-made home.
This rookery is at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park in St. Augustine, Florida. Founded in 1893 as a reptile exhibition, the park quickly became a major attraction. Over its 125 year life-span there were a lot of challenges including storms. relocation, and fire. Accredited by The American Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) in 1989 they have expanded their education mission and animal variety. (http://www.alligatorfarm.com)
The wading birds were naturally attracted to an area of the Zoo’s property that was perfect for roosting and nesting. During the 1970s a boardwalk was added through the rookery to allow visitors access to the birds above the swamp that is full of Alligators.
St. Augustine, FL, 01/29/2018
I love the fluffy head feathers! It’s nice to hear that the birds don’t seem bothered by people or boardwalks. A local govt body is looking at developing a protected area here and we’re uneasy about its potential effects on wildlife.
Thanks. I’m sure that is something that has developed over time. Even without knowing the details I’d say that development sounds like a bad idea.
We’ve registered our apprehension, we’ll have to see what happens😏
Great capture!!!
Thank you!