Bird Island Rookery

May 20, 2006 Field Trip
Deena & Dana Wade of River Lilly River Cruises once again took the Pelican Island Audubon Society on a pontoon boat excursion down the north fork of the St. Lucie River to view the Bird Island rookery. This juvenile Osprey was one of several spotted along the way.
Deena & Dana are quite the experts on this section of the river and their sharp eyes are ever on the lookout for interesting things to point out like this juvenile Yellow-Crowned Night Heron resting in the mangroves.
The large number of birds on Bird Island could easily be seen from a distance as our destination came into view.
Probably the most numerous of the birds using the island are Wood Storks like these juveniles pictured here.
Anhingas could also be seen nesting on the island. This adult Anhinga lets the morning Sun dry its wings.
A Wood Stork feeds a nestling.
Adult Wood Storks were constantly flying on and off the island.

More Ospreys were seen on the way back including this nest which had a juvenile watching an adult fly in for a landing.

View images of last year's field trip to the island.
Images & text by Bob Montanaro.  
 
 
All images and text copyright Pelican Island Audubon Society.
E-mail: piaudubon@bellsouth.net