Venice Rookery

Got up at the b-crack of dawn (6:10 a.m.), grabbed a pop tart and an apple for breakfast, and was on my way to the Venice Rookery. According to Google Maps...40.1 miles away...using I-75, and Jacaranda Blvd. Jacaranda. Say it with me. JA-CA-RAN-DA!! Kind of fun.

I did see 2 bright yellow warning signs on Jacaranda that I have never seen before. In Michigan we are used to seeing Deer Crossing signs. But, this sign said Beware...Sandhill Cranes in Area. The other was just a picture of a golf cart. Only in Florida.

I was the first on the scene at the rookery. I found out why. The sun didn't hit the rookery for another hour. I could have slept in.

The rookery is a small island in the middle of a small lake/pond. I would guess it is 25 yards wide, and 25 yards long. It has had good success because it is patrolled by a resident alligator...keeping the varmits at bay. We saw him/her today. Such an ugly animal.

I don't even want to say how many pictures I took, but it came down to these 2 anhinga chicks, and 2 toddler blue herons chewing on a snake that Dad provided. The anhingas won.

The mother keeps her head up for a reason. When she lowers it, even chicks this size want to stick their beaks in there for some food. I watched another nest where the chicks were bigger, and it is close to being an all out assault. The mother can only take so much, and she has to back off.

There ended up being 15 photographers there, with anything from a point-and-shoot to those whopper lenses. There was even a guy there that had a 2 inch telephoto lens hooked into his smart phone. SHEESH!

I always enjoy the photo lingo. "Herb...what you got your EV set at?" "Minus 1." "I'm telling you. You better go to plus 1." "You're nuts!" "OK...we'll see!" "Herb...you were right!!" I did hear one new good one. It was Herb, after looking at his screen with one of those snazzy eye piece things..."Ooooh...I hit that right on the potato!!"

I stopped on my way home at Myakka River State park...lookin for me some gators. It cost me 4 bucks to get in, and I saw 5 gators. That's 80 cents a gator. I'll take it. A handful of critters that I would never want to run into. Lion, tiger, polar bear, grizzly bear, wolf, mountain lion, and a gator.

Hope the 80 cent gators don't give me nightmares. One was HUGE!!!

Make sure to click on LARGE for a closer look at the little hairless wonders.