 | Description | My friend Herman sometimes takes my dad and me to the Polk Rookery. It’s a great place to photograph wading birds at their nests. My favorites are the Roseate Spoonbill nests, and Brown Pelicans nest here as well. I’ve been asked to not disclose the location in order to protect the nesting habitat. You need a boat to get there, anyway. |
| Photography Advice | Early mornings and late afternoons are the best time to observe the nesting birds. |
| When to Go | Springtime |
| Species Photographed (13) | Anhinga, Black-Crowned Night-Heron, Brown Pelican, Cattle Egret, Double-Crested Cormorant, Glossy Ibis, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Least Bittern, Roseate Spoonbill, Snowy Egret, White Ibis, Wood Stork |
| Website | None |
| eBird | None |
| Google Map | None |
| Trail Map | None |
April 8, 2013 - Herman took my dad and me on a boat trip to the Polk Rookery this past weekend. It was my first time being there in the afternoon, so it was fun to see the nests that are not well illuminated in my normal morning light. There don’t seem to be as many nests this year […]
June 20, 2012 - Herman invited my dad and me out on his boat to visit the Polk Rookery on Father’s Day. Activity there is winding down. Many of the young birds have already fledged. Recent rains have left the rookery cleaner — and less smelly — than I remember from the end of last season. There was still […]
July 10, 2011 - Today Herman took Dyeyo and me for one last boat ride in the Polk Rookery. The nesting season has all but ended. Most of the birds have left, leaving the islands very empty looking. A few adults and fledglings were still perched at the top of the Brazilian Pepper, allowing for easier subject isolation. It […]
June 19, 2011 - Dyeyo and I spent a nice Father’s Day morning with Herman at his rookery in Polk County. That’s always such a fun place to go. Herman’s little portable boat is awesome for floating between the islands and observing the birds. We started the morning with a Least Bittern – what a way to start the […]
May 29, 2011 - Herman took my dad and me out in his boat again this morning. The Polk Rookery has changed considerably since my last visit in March. Then the birds were building their nests, and Great Egrets, Wood Storks dominated the Brazilian Pepper. Today the rookery was filled with fledgling birds of all sorts: Roseate Spoonbills, Great […]
March 20, 2011 - Our friend Herman took Dyeyo and me out on his little boat this morning to a rookery in Polk County. It was so amazing! Unlike the Gatorland Rookery and the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Rookery, this one is totally wild. There were hundreds of birds there, most of them sporting their breeding plumages. We saw […]