Quiet Afternoon at Orlando Wetlands
April 15, 2023 - It was pretty hot that afternoon, and I saw a small handful of Roseate Spoonbills.... Read more
Roseate Spoonbill
 | My name is very fitting for me – I use my spoon-shaped beak to fish for my food in the water. I’m a popular bird among bird-watchers because of my bright colors. If you see a pink bird flying overhead, don’t assume it’s a flamingo – it’s probably me! Most Likely Found: In a pond, In the marsh When: Year-Round Where I've photographed: Alligator Farm, Circle B Bar Reserve, Fort De Soto, Lake Apopka, Lake Morton, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Oakland Nature Preserve, Orlando Wetlands, Polk Rookery, Stick Marsh, Viera Wetlands |
I have written 69 posts including a photo of a Roseate Spoonbill
Rich Found a Turtle at Orlando Wetlands
April 8, 2023 - He got to see the coots walking on water, the Roseate Spoonbills flying around, and all the begging babies near the boardwalk.... The Roseate Spoonbills were still busy bringing in nesting material.... Read more
More Fun from Orlando Wetlands
April 6, 2023 - After enjoying the Big Stick Competition and laughing at the "Honey, I'm Home!" Roseate Spoonbill nest, there was still so much to see at the wetlands.... Let's see if I can get through a whole post without including another Roseate Spoonbill.... I made it over to the boardwalk, where I…... Read more
Honey, I’m Home! Roseate Spoonbill Nest
April 5, 2023 - One of the Roseate Spoonbill nests that thrived this year at Orlando Wetlands Park was buried deep in a palm tree.... Read more
And the Winner of the Biggest Stick Competition Is…
April 4, 2023 - I was saddened to see that the Roseate Spoonbill nests close to the boardwalk were gone.... Fourth place goes to this Roseate Spoonbill with a decent-sized stick.... Second place goes to...hey, wait, you're not a Roseate Spoonbill!... Read more
How Many Beaks Can You Count? Roseate Spoonbill Nest
March 30, 2023 - I knew the Roseate Spoonbills had been nesting long enough that it might be time to find small pink spoons in the nest.... The Great Egret chicks fuss with a sound like "nah-nah-nah." The Roseate Spoonbill chicks have more of a wheezing sound.... The golden light on this Roseate Spoonbill…... Read more
Spring Vacation 2023
March 20, 2023 - Sandhill Crane Colts Squabbling Roseate Spoonbill with Nesting Material - Fly Softly and Carry a Big Stick!... Roseate Spoonbill babies in nest American White Pelican Coming into Breeding Plumage Great Egret Chicks Being Fed Anhinga Sunset Silhouette Stay tuned for the stories behind these images!... Read more
Roseate Spoonbills Play Musical Trees at Orlando Wetlands
March 17, 2023 - The Roseate Spoonbills are nesting at the wetlands in an island of trees surrounded by stumps.... Read more
More Boardwalk Fun at Orlando Wetlands
March 14, 2023 - Back on the boardwalk, I settled in to photograph Roseate Spoonbills bringing in nesting material.... Read more
Sunrise at Orlando Wetlands
March 13, 2023 - The Roseate Spoonbills were already active.... Read more
Pretty in Pink – Roseate Spoonbills at Orlando Wetlands
February 23, 2023 - It's almost spring and that means it's time for the Roseate Spoonbills to nest!... Read more
2021: Photographic Year in Review
December 31, 2021 - Roseate Spoonbill at Stick Marsh Summer visits to Florida's Gulf Coast yielded my favorite Least Terns in all their courtship rituals, plus a few fuzzy and very cute babies!... Read more
Brave Spoonbill Guards the Entrance to LAWD
November 27, 2021 - An incredibly brave Roseate Spoonbill greeted me as I returned to the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive on Sunday.... Read more
Ducks Unlimited! at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive
November 17, 2021 - This Roseate Spoonbill has appointed himself to the welcoming committee at the entrance of the drive.... Read more
Rainy Morning at Fort De Soto Wading Pools
August 15, 2021 - My disappointment over the weather faded the second I saw the Roseate Spoonbill in the wading pool...... Read more
Singing in the Rain!
July 29, 2021 - A flock of Roseate Spoonbills was hanging out on Wading Bird Way, foraging in the shallow waters along the edge of the trail.... The Roseate Spoonbill is the only spoonbill in the Americas.... Read more
Spoonbill Heaven at Stick Marsh!
May 1, 2021 - It's Roseate Spoonbill Heaven!... This Roseate Spoonbill was still showing pretty good breeding colors when he waded out into the water and started to splash around.... Read more
Easter Sunrise at Orlando Wetlands
April 28, 2021 - There were a ton of Roseate Spoonbills there, and it's been a long time since I've seen them in those numbers!... Read more
Cold and Breezy Morning at the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive
January 29, 2019 - They made sure to point out the Roseate Spoonbill at the beginning of Welland.... Read more
Sunrise at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
January 12, 2018 - But when I saw photos of beautiful Roseate Spoonbills in breeding plumage at MINWR, I knew it was time for a visit.... Read more
The Fun Continues at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive
June 16, 2017 - Highlights of this visit include baby Killdeer, a Yellow-Crowned Night Heron, a Roseate Spoonbill, and the ever-present baby aliens (Common Gallinules).... Next up is one of my favorite birds - the Roseate Spoonbill.... The Roseate Spoonbill was feeing in the same pond as a Fulvous Whistling-Duck.... Read more
Happy Mother’s Day!
May 14, 2017 - Least Tern Mother & Chick Roseate Spoonbill Mother & Baby Black Skimmer Mother & Baby Sandhill Crane Mother & Colt Great Horned Owl Mother & Babies Mute Swan Mother & Cygnet ... Read more
Migrant-Hunting at Fort De Soto with my Dad
April 18, 2017 - North Beach You know it's going to be a good morning when it starts out with a Roseate Spoonbill at the North Beach lagoon!... There were Laughing Gulls, a bunch of White Ibises (in brilliant breeding reds!), a couple of Marbled Godwits, a Reddish Egret, and the Roseate Spoonbill.... The…... Read more
Springtime Stroll at Circle B Bar Reserve
March 2, 2017 - Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Roseate Spoonbills - all in their breeding finery!... Read more
Incredible Photography Morning at Viera Wetlands
January 20, 2017 - I spotted some Roseate Spoonbills and got all excited.... I continued on my way to the Roseate Spoonbills, who were in full breeding colors.... Read more
Year in Review: Photographic Memories of 2015
December 31, 2015 - I felt her gentle spirit with me that morning as the billowing pink clouds reminded me of the Roseate Spoonbills that she also enjoyed photographing at Viera.... Read more
Roseate Spoonbills at the Alligator Farm
May 25, 2015 - To me it was wonderful, because it held a hungry juvenile Roseate Spoonbill...... I had a shot of a Roseate Spoonbill as he flew in and landed on a perch, but it was extremely backlit.... Read more
Fall Getaway to Fort De Soto
September 3, 2014 - In the lagoon area, I spotted three Roseate Spoonbills preening in the pretty morning sun.... Read more
Beach Bird Heuristics for Rich
May 10, 2014 - Even my favorite Roseate Spoonbills show up occasionally at Fort De Soto.... Read more
Springtime Bird Photography at Fort De Soto
April 15, 2014 - As I waded and enjoyed the great Florida springtime weather (yep, it'll last about two weeks and then be sweltering hot!), this Roseate Spoonbill flew in.... Read more
Year in Review: Favorite Photographic Moments of 2013
December 31, 2013 - Pretty in Pink Back in Florida, the Roseate Spoonbills put on a great show at Viera Wetlands while the Click Ponds were being drained.... Read more
Roseate Spoonbills at Viera Wetlands
November 2, 2013 - There are so many Roseate Spoonbills at Viera Wetlands right now!... The Click Ponds were recently drained, and the low water levels have attracted lots of wading birds, especially Roseate Spoonbills.... The Roseate Spoonbills are some of my favorite birds.... Read more
Black-Bellied Whistling-Ducklings at Viera Wetlands
September 17, 2013 - A pair of Roseate Spoonbills also visited while I was there.... Read more
Sunset at the Polk Rookery
April 8, 2013 - A couple of Great Blue Herons have fledged already, and my favorites, the Roseate Spoonbills, had several nests.... My favorite wading birds are the Roseate Spoonbills.... A lot of the Roseate Spoonbills that we see in Lakeland were born at Alafia Banks in Tampa.... Read more
Windy and Cold at Fort De Soto
April 7, 2013 - I gazed open-mouthed as a Roseate Spoonbill flew into the lagoon.... Read more
Foggy Mornings at the Circle B Bar Reserve
March 21, 2013 - I made my way to the Heron Hideout trail, where a large group of white birds and Roseate Spoonbills were feeding.... Read more
Cloudy Morning at Viera Wetlands
August 5, 2012 - My favorites were the several Roseate Spoonbills.... Read more
Father’s Day at the Polk Rookery
June 20, 2012 - The Great Egrets are the first to nest, and some of the last to fledge. It's interesting how the smaller birds, like Tricolored Herons and Snowy Egrets, start nesting later and fledge sooner, than the bigger birds. A couple of the fledgling Great Egrets were still hanging around on Sunday. …... Read more
Put Your Best Spoon Forward!
June 1, 2012 - I spent last Sunday morning at the Circle B Bar Reserve. Boy it feels good to get back out there! I was happy to find lots and lots of Roseate Spoonbills still hanging around off the Wading Bird Way trail. I counted over 100! These beautiful birds are some of…... Read more
Sunrise Wings at Circle B Bar Reserve
May 20, 2012 - I estimate that at least 30-50 Roseate Spoonbills were active this morning.... Read more
Silly Bird, Turn Your Head This Way!!
December 30, 2011 - There were at least fifty Roseate Spoonbills along the trail.... Read more
Alligator Farm Winning Photo!!
August 25, 2011 - Juvenile Spoonbill head shot I was a little surprised it wasn't my Roseate Spoonbill in flight, one of my favorite shots ever.... Read more
Productive Morning at the Viera Click Ponds
July 23, 2011 - Bird Species List: (36 total): American Avocet, American Coot, Anhinga, Black Vulture, Black-Crowned Night Heron, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Black-necked Stilt, Boat-tailed Grackle, Cattle Egret, Common Moorhen, European Starling, Glossy Ibis, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Greater Yellowlegs, Green Heron, Killdeer, Least Bittern, Least Sandpiper, Least Tern, Lesser Yellowlegs, Limpkin, Mottled…... Read more
Why Did the Purple Gallinule Cross the Trail at Circle B Bar Reserve?
June 26, 2011 - Limpkin Best of all, there were at least twenty Roseate Spoonbills roosting off Wading Bird Way. Most of them were pretty far out, but a couple stayed very close to the trail. One was banded! I spotted his upper band quickly, then waited for him to walk and tried to…... Read more
Cloudy Morning at the Alligator Farm
June 25, 2011 - Cattle Egret The rookery is definitely starting to wind down. A lot of the birds have fledged, although there are still plenty of chicks and branch-hopping juveniles. I've been watching a couple of Roseate Spoonbill nests over the spring, and a lot of those juveniles weren't around today. I guess…... Read more
Father’s Day at the Polk Rookery
June 19, 2011 - Least Bittern The activity at the rookery has certainly changed since my first visit, when the birds were primarily constructing their nests, and we had a single set of Great Egret chicks. Now there are only a few birds on eggs, and there are fledglings everywhere. Herman has counted at…... Read more
Tiny Stilts and Willets at Merritt Island NWR
June 12, 2011 - Baby Black-Necked Stilt I found these guys on East Gator Creek. First I located their parents by listening – the stilts are very loud when they are in protective mode. After I heard two adults fussing in a particular area, I watched for the chicks. I found these three in…... Read more
Birds and Babies Everywhere at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm
May 31, 2011 - Wood Stork chick The Roseate Spoonbills are getting bigger. I did spot a pretty photographable nest in a palm tree that had tiny little guys in it. I'll have to go back soon...... Roseate Spoonbill chick Finally, this Snowy chick posed in a nice window of tree branches. I think…... Read more
Spoon-Feeding at the Polk Rookery
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…... Read more
Incredible Morning at the Alligator Farm Rookery
May 14, 2011 - Augustine Alligator Farm's bird rookery. It's right at peak season and the rookery, and the activity is awesome! Some Great Egrets are still building nests, others have tiny babies, and still more have fledglings who know how to leave the nest but still haven't figured out how to feed themselves. …... Read more