Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja)

[Pao Dolina]

Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) by Paolo Dolina, on Flickr

The roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) nests in shrubs or trees, often mangroves, laying two to five eggs, which are whitish with brown markings.[11] Immature birds have white, feathered heads, and the pink of the plumage is paler. The bill is yellowish or pinkish.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roseate_spoonbill

Location: https://houstonaudubon.org/sanctuaries/high-island/rookery/rookery.html

 

[Asher Kelman]

Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) by Paolo Dolina, on Flickr

The roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) nests in shrubs or trees, often mangroves, laying two to five eggs, which are whitish with brown markings.[11] Immature birds have white, feathered heads, and the pink of the plumage is paler. The bill is yellowish or pinkish.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roseate_spoonbill

Location: https://houstonaudubon.org/sanctuaries/high-island/rookery/rookery.html

Paolo,

Where did you find this beautiful and unusual bird? Oh, I now see, Houston Audubon has a sanctuary. I wish I had known when I visited years ago!

I must read more about the place!

How easy is it to see them?

I would so love to share such beauty with my grandchildren!

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

Paolo,

How many species did you find and what lenses did you use?

This is such a wonderful chance occurrence that in doing a project to maintain a waterway, they end up building a sanctuary that flourishes!

Key thing, they write, was to ban the guys with the guns shooting wild life ....I guess and preventing an ecosystem from building in complexity.

Asher

 

[Peter Dexter]

A striking image. I'm curious too about the answers to Asher's questions.

 

[Asher Kelman]

I am attracted to the ideaf building a sanctuary. I’d like to design one near my sculpture by the Pacific Ocean. There’s a lagoon that gets refreshed each night with pumps. I was thinking of putting in a small island with rocks and shrubs and nesting trees to have nectar, seeds, grubs, rodents and insects for birds!

Would it work?

Asher

 

[Pao Dolina]

Thanks Peter, Chris and Asher

It is the easiest birding place I have ever been to. It's like going to Disneyland and asking a photo with Mickey Mouse.

I think I saw about a dozen species of birds during my trip. I used a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM with a 2x III Extender

Asher for your sanctuary why not collaborate with someone from the Audubon Society?


Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) by Paolo Dolina, on Flickr

 

[Asher Kelman]

Is this as active a place all year round?

Does one need to focus fast, or are the birds “just there”?

Is this nearby? Perhaps I should visit, LOL! Seems amazing!!

Yes, I plan to contact Audubon!

Asher