The Rookery [View all]
In the township of Port Richey, FL in the middle of a major metropolitan densely populated area sits a small man made pond. It's about a quarter acre, the size of a large residential lot and in the center of that pond is a stand of cypress trees. In those trees is a rookery for several species of local water birds. Great White Egrets, Little Blue Egrets, Storks, Ibis and Cormorants all peacefully, more or less, sharing this little space next to an apartment complex and strip shopping center. You can actually see it and the birds on Google Earth. Search for Port Richey and find Shoppers drive at Embassy Blvd. It's about a block north of Embassy on Shoppers.
That's where I made the following images.
A little territorial dispute between Great Whites and Storks.
A Little Blue egret.
More posturing between Great Whites.
Fledglings waiting to be fed.
A Stork settling in.
Cormorant. Far east fishermen use them to catch fish. They put a clamp on their throats so they can't swallow and make the bird cough up it's catch.
"Hey, what you lookin' at?"
Stretching it's wings.
I guess there's a reason they're called GREAT White Egrets.
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