The rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm is certainly the largest in the area, but it is not the only one. There is a fair sized rookery of, mostly, Wood Storks, on the grounds of the Jacksonville Zoo. The other nesting bird there in small numbers is the Black-crowned Night-Heron, which, oddly enough, I have never seen at the Alligator Farm. The BCNHs like to sit on a post just off the main viewing platform for the African Savannah section of the zoo, across from the trees the Storks are using to nest, quite close to the boardwalk.

These two shots are at 840mm equivalent on the Canon SX40HS. Gotta love those eyes!

I also took a few shots of them hunting for insects under the rookery trees. These were also at the long end of the optical zoom. In the first shot, where the bird is focused on the ground, you can just see the long breeding plume running back up over the bird’s shoulder.

Though the images came out well, it was darker under the trees than it looks…ISO was pushed up to 400 for these shots and I am pleased with the results.

Canon SX40HS. Program with iContrast and –1/3EV exposure compensation.  Processed in Lightroom for intensity, clarity, and sharpness.