For WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY hosted by STEWART.
It is a mystery to me why birds choose one area for their roosts instead of another. Sometimes you'll see a mangrove island with so many nesting birds that there's almost no space for the birds to move around (or so it seems to my eye) -- while just down the river there's another islet that looks exactly the same except that it is completely empty of bird life.
They must have a good reason because it seems to be working for them.
We passed several woodstork rookeries on a recent trip down part of the Peace River. There were a few roseate spoonbills sharing the same mangroves.
I remember how amazing it was to see these pink birds for the first time. They still amaze me!
Just a little bit of woodstork courting ritual caught on camera.
Wow what wonderful and fascinating birds you shared!
Posted by: Mary Howell Cromer | March 01, 2013 at 03:00 AM
Lovely! the colour of the spoonbill is great, would love to see one one day.
Posted by: Amanda | February 28, 2013 at 12:28 PM
Great photos! I agree about the Spoonbill. It's a beauty...
Posted by: pat | February 28, 2013 at 12:03 PM
They are like us, living more and more in "towns" ! I like too the so funny spoonbills !
Posted by: Annie | February 28, 2013 at 06:58 AM
Wow, that Roseate Spoonbill is gorgeous! I've never seen one of those before.
You're right - it does look kind of crowded in there. ;-)
Posted by: Lindy | February 27, 2013 at 08:48 PM
Wow! What a variety of birds and color! Your photos are always amazing!
Posted by: bettyl | February 27, 2013 at 05:11 PM
I love those Roseate Spoonbills pink feathers. Great captures Sallie.
Posted by: Pam | February 27, 2013 at 05:01 PM
I love those Roseate Spoonbills pink feathers. Great captures Sallie
Posted by: Pam | February 27, 2013 at 04:46 PM
I love getting out and seeing the birds here in Florida! Fantastic photos!
Posted by: Lavender Dreams | February 27, 2013 at 11:20 AM
Hi Sallie!
Oh, I understand that you like the pink bird. I do to!
Lovely to see how different our bird paradises are!
Have a nice rest of the week! Greetings Pia
Posted by: Pia, Sweden | February 27, 2013 at 09:51 AM
Interesting boat trip! So nice to see the Wood Storks setting up households. They have practically disappeared as breeding birds in South Florida, notably in Corkscrew Swamp. A few are now nesting in Palm Beach County. Like you, I wonder why our Yellow-crowned Night-Herons selected their rookery at a particular spot in our neighborhood, and why there are no other species nesting there except for a few Green Herons.
Posted by: ken schneider | February 27, 2013 at 09:32 AM
they're so big and awkward yet beautiful
Posted by: dianne7777 | February 27, 2013 at 05:17 AM
Great post!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.
Posted by: Boom & Gary | February 27, 2013 at 05:01 AM
Beautiful collection of bird pictures. Love the image the way 2 different pictures have been put together to create an interesting collage.
Posted by: Ramakant Pradhan | February 27, 2013 at 04:26 AM
Great images of the wood storks...I've only seen ONE here in the wild...on the banks of a bay inlet. And you...lucky you see a whole lot of them!! Great spoonbill image too.
Posted by: Anni @ I'd Rather B Birdin' | February 27, 2013 at 02:50 AM
Great captures, Sallie -have never seen woodstorks, let alone, pink ones:)
Posted by: Emille | February 27, 2013 at 01:53 AM
It's a good question you pose at the beginning Sallie and I guess the birds know precisely what they want and if its not quite right, they won't use it. Good to see your rookery - the nearest we get here in the UK is Heronries of Grey Herons, although Little Egrets are doing well in a few still kept fairly secret localities.
Posted by: Phil | February 27, 2013 at 01:05 AM
Wow! So many beautiful pictures and lovely birds there. I love the pinky one, she has given a nice pose :)
Posted by: Arti | February 26, 2013 at 11:51 PM
Interesting looking spoonbill you have.
Posted by: Neil | February 26, 2013 at 07:22 PM
You have magical photos and magical travels!!!
Posted by: Jenn Jilks | February 26, 2013 at 07:08 PM
I think the pink spoonbill is really magical.
Posted by: islandrambles | February 26, 2013 at 05:20 PM
I have never seen these birds before, they are amazing especially the pink bird, love it.
Posted by: Karen | February 26, 2013 at 03:07 PM
gorgeous shots. I saw both species when I was in CostaRica but I never came that close. Your spoonbill has got a very strong color. :)
Posted by: NatureFootstep Photo | February 26, 2013 at 01:17 PM
Wow,cool sighting of the storks and spoonbills roosting. Do you see the nest there too? Great shots!
Posted by: Eileen | February 26, 2013 at 12:43 PM
Great photos of all the birds. I wonder also why one tree is preferred over another. Might it just be habit?
Posted by: Mick | February 26, 2013 at 12:08 PM
They are such beautiful birds !
Posted by: Gattina | February 26, 2013 at 08:38 AM
Oh Wow! Those storks are marvellous, and that spoonbill, awesome. You get to see so many wonderful birds.
Posted by: Karen | February 26, 2013 at 08:30 AM
Fantastic shots. I envy you the birds you get a chance to photograph.
Posted by: Carver | February 26, 2013 at 08:24 AM
I share your wondering about why birds roost where they roost. I read that in those holocaust camps, you would never find a single bird or if there was you'd never hear any singing. But that's probably understandable.
I think I'll be amazed too if I saw that pink bird for the first time. She looks like such a beauty!
Posted by: Hazel | February 26, 2013 at 08:12 AM
I've never seen a woodstork. You have so many places to explore and search out these wonderful birds.
Love the spoonbill - it's the pink! :)
Posted by: Carletta's Captures | February 26, 2013 at 08:05 AM
SO cool! i'd love to see even one nest of a heron or egret here, much less a rookery. although i know that some suburbs have dealt with an egret rookery with horrible toxic smells, bird waste, etc. and because they're protected, once they began nesting, they couldn't chase them out and had to live with it for months. much more cool in the wild. :)
Posted by: TexWisGirl | February 26, 2013 at 07:29 AM
It is weird how the birds will all congregate in a one area to nest. I saw my first roseate spoonbill last spring at a rookery in Louisiana. I'm smitten with the color of their feathers. I've never seen a woodstork in person. I'll have to look and see if they live or migrate here. Wonderful shots, Sallie!
Posted by: Gail | February 26, 2013 at 07:20 AM
Hahaha, they want their privacy too!
Posted by: Ebie | February 26, 2013 at 07:20 AM
It amazes me when several birds roost in the same tree!
Posted by: EG CameraGirl , Canada | February 26, 2013 at 07:10 AM
I so enjoyed looking at your photos this morning. So interesting how the birds choose where to roosts. I'm sure mother nature knows best. Great snaps!
Enjoy your day.
~Emily
The French Hutch
Posted by: Emily | February 26, 2013 at 07:07 AM
This maybe a good place to pose for you.
They know you.
Posted by: Rainfield (雨田 Malaysia) | February 26, 2013 at 06:01 AM
It seems funny to see such big birds balancing on flimsy mangrove trees. The pink one is beautiful. Great capture of them dancing.
Posted by: diane | February 26, 2013 at 04:34 AM
It must be magical to see these birds locally-the photos are super, Sallie!
Posted by: HAZEL | February 26, 2013 at 12:23 AM
I agree with Stewart M of Melbourne.
Not the most attractive of the bird variety and no doubt if you got close to this colony the stench would knock you out.
Just like the Suburban Iris colonies here - STENCH!
Colin (Brisbane. Australia)
Weather: No change still coming down in bucket loads in intervals - on one minute for 30 minutes, then off, and back again. Ah "Mother Nature" - at least we can't blame politicans for this - ha ha! They are saved from one thing.
RAIN!!!! and when it comes.
Posted by: Colin Huggins | February 25, 2013 at 09:51 PM
Woodstorks are not the prettiest of birds are they?
I must admit, I don't mind have those little read-heads of mine around!!
Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne
Posted by: Stewart M | February 25, 2013 at 07:56 PM
Fabulous photos Sallie. These remind me of our trip to Sebastian when we took a boat ride over to Pelican Island. What a thrill it was to see not only pelicans but storks settling down for the night.
Posted by: Denise | February 25, 2013 at 07:49 PM