The Roseates are coming into breeding plumage when I visit Florida in late January, but they are nesting when I visit in May. If that whole time is courtship…well, hard to imagine. Some birds at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm rookery are building nests, some are sitting on eggs, and some have well grown fledglings in the nest. The fledglings are interesting looking (which is what you say when no word adequately describes).

The richness of the pinks of the full adult breeding plumage is also hard to describe.

I always try for flight shots at the rookery, as there are pretty much birds in the air all the time. On occasion it all comes together. And how better than on a Roseate Spoonbill?

Canon SX40HS. Program with iContrast and –1/3EV exposure compensation.  At the Alligator Farm you work within the optical range of the zoom, as you don’t need anything longer. The bird on the nest and the nestlings were at 840mm, all the rest were at shorter range, down to about 250mm for the top shot.

Processed in Lightroom for intensity, clarity, and sharpness.