BEST-IN-SHOW Great egret (Ardea alba) bathing Terrie Jacobson Buford, GA Canon EOS R5, lens RF 100-500 F4.5-7.1 L IS This year's photo contest judge, Jackie Kramer, struggled with selecting the final winning images as there were so many excellent submissions! Hundreds of images were provided from around the country for...
JACKIE KRAMER! 2017 St. Augustine Alligator Farm photo contest winning image by Jackie Kramer Jackie's true passion is to encourage people to live their legacy, which she does primarily through her online group, Phlorography - Artistic Floral Photography, which consists of thousands of passionate floral photographers. Jackie has...
Photo by Terrie Jacobson TYPICAL ROOKERY SCHEDULE Mid February – The first pair of Great egrets arrive around Valentine’s Day. More are close behind and begin nest building. Roseate spoonbills stagger their nests throughout the season, arriving as early as mid-January! Late February- Great egret pairs continue to...
Christmas Bird Count St. Augustine Alligator Farm rookery December 18, 2022 4:45-6:00 pm Much deserved credit given to the St. Johns County Audubon for performing this count annually, not only in our rookery, but throughout the county! The Christmas Bird Count was initially established in 1900 to encourage bird...
Photo by Jack Rogers Wood stork at Wakodahatchee Wetlands (because we love this species no matter their photo is taken!) The success of wading bird rookeries fluctuate annually due to water hydrology, human activity, and available feeding habitat. Ten species of wading birds now regularly nesting at...
BEST IN SHOW Roseate spoonbill Platalea ajaja Robert Van Mierop Palm Coast, FL Nikon D500, Nikon 200-500 f/5.6 lens The St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park was pleased to host its 28th Annual Photo Contest this year. Entries were received from all over the United States. Our Annual Photo Contest...
RICK SAMMON! Award-winning photographer Rick Sammon loves his day job. A tireless, prolific and inspirational image-maker, Rick, called by some “The Godfather of Photography,” is one of the most active photographers on the planet – dividing his time between creating images, leading photo workshops, and making...
The alligators and wading bird rookery place a lot of strain on the 2 acre Native Swamp & Rookery habitat. Annual maintenance work is done to ensure the environment is more than suitable for all the critters and guests residing within and passing through. Every...
Our rookery peak nest count varies between 400-800 nests annually. Wading bird reproduction is dependent on habitat, water table depth, and prey availability. The chart below covers the last decade, developed by our hard-working rookery crew data collectors! 2021 turned out to be an "average"...