Spoonbill chicks at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm!

[Gen Anderson]

Hello everyone~

I have been receiving many requests for an update of the spoonbill nests, but have delayed posting until the nests have begun to hatch. The two hidden spoonbills nests hatched out 2-2 1/2 weeks ago and the chicks are definitely large enough to see if you can achieve the proper viewing angle. Even better news, though, is the two easily-viewed nests have begun hatching out today! Their fuzzy heads and tiny spoons are barely visable, but they will be growing rapidly until fledging at six weeks of age.

Here are the stats for the other species:

Wood storks: 41 nests (down from a peak of 49), 125 large chicks/fledglings

Great egrets: 60 nests (peaked at 92), 162 large chicks/ fledglings

Snowy egrets: 36 nests (peaked at 98), 184 chicks/fledglings everywhere

Cattle egrets: almost 50 nests, 82 chicks (nests began hatching out mid-May)

Little Blue Heron: 16 nests, 15 chicks (not a great year for this timid species)

Tri-colored Heron: 42 nests (peaked at 60), 132 chicks/fledglings

Green Herons: 6 nests, 13 chicks/fledglings. A new nest was just built in the Live Oak by the Education Building.

If you are thinking about making one more trip out, then I highly recommend doing so! Spoonbill chick pictures would be great to enter into the photo contest...

Gen Anderson
Bird & Mammal Curator <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
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[Fabs Forns]

Thanks for the update, Gen. it was exciting for sure to see them nesting when we were there last month.

[Linda Martino]

Not award winning photos but here is a chick yesterday. The nest is deep so this first day it was seen only a little.

http://www.martinosworld.com/images/RoseateChick1.jpg
http://www.martinosworld.com/images/RoseateChick2.jpg

[Alfred Forns]

Big Thanks for the report !! Will try to go up to see the chicks I'm sure next year we will have more spoon nests and eventually as many as storks :)

Thanks for the links Linda. When I was there I thought about asking John for a ladder to get some picks of the eggs :D:) .. will work !!

[Linda Martino]

Someone brought a latter and they had to remove it. I think they don't want anyone tipping over into the alligator pond. :)

[Harold Davis]

thanks so much for the report, gen!! and linda, those little spoon bills are so cute!!!

[Robert vanMierop]

June 30. 2010

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g101/bobbyv1/0631d.jpg

[Gen Anderson]

Bobby- your photo is fantastic! Thanks for sharing. The staff at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm are thrilled the spoonbills have selected us for an expansion of their breeding range. These nests are the furthest north in Florida by about 85 miles (from where they use to historically nest in Brevard County).