Rookeries

The rookery which is shared with great blue herons is on a small island in the James D. Martin Wildlife Park, Gadsden, Alabama - a wetland that is part of the Coosa River watershed. I first noticed a number of egrets in the trees on the island as I drove along I759 into Gadsden and wondered if it could be a rookery. I decided to investigate further. The island was some distance across the water (see then note - upper left) from the Gadsden Mall parking lot which is where I went to take photos. Because of the distance, (based on Google Earth view over 750 feet), even at maximum zoom, I was essentially shooting blind. But happily, by cropping, I managed to get some fairly decent shots. During the winter the trees are occupied by numerous wintering cormorants. (IMG_6332)

The rookery is on a small island in the James D. Martin Wildlife Park, Gadsden, Alabama - a wetland that is part of the Coosa River watershed. I first noticed a number of egrets in the trees on the island as I drove along I759 into Gadsden and wondered if it could be a rookery. I decided to investigate further. The island was some distance across the water (see then note - upper left) from the Gadsden Mall parking lot which is where I went to take photos. Because of the distance, (based on Google Earth view over 750 feet), even at maximum zoom, I was essentially shooting blind. But happily, by cropping, I managed to get some fairly decent shots. During the winter the trees are occupied by numerous wintering cormorants. (IMG_6322)

The rookery which is shared with great egrets is on a small island in the James D. Martin Wildlife Park, Gadsden, Alabama - a wetland that is part of the Coosa River watershed. I first noticed a number of egrets in the trees on the island as I drove along I759 into Gadsden and wondered if it could be a rookery. I decided to investigate further. The island was some distance across the water (see then note - upper left) from the Gadsden Mall parking lot which is where I went to take photos. Because of the distance, (based on Google Earth view over 750 feet), even at maximum zoom, I was essentially shooting blind. But happily, by cropping, I managed to get some fairly decent shots. During the winter the trees are occupied by numerous wintering cormorants. (IMG_6292)

James D. Martin Wildlife Park, a wetland that is part of the Coosa River watershed, Gadsden, Alabama (IMG_6236)

At a rookery which is shared with great blue herons on a small island in the James D. Martin Wildlife Park, Gadsden, Alabama - a wetland that is part of the Coosa River watershed. I first noticed a number of egrets in the trees on the island as I drove along I759 into Gadsden and wondered if it could be a rookery. I decided to investigate further. The island was some distance across the water (see then note - upper left) from the Gadsden Mall parking lot which is where I went to take photos. Because of the distance, (based on Google Earth view over 750 feet), even at maximum zoom, I was essentially shooting blind. But happily, by cropping, I managed to get some fairly decent shots. During the winter the trees are occupied by numerous wintering cormorants. (IMG_1735)

The rookery is on a small island in the James D. Martin Wildlife Park, Gadsden, Alabama - a wetland that is part of the Coosa River watershed. I first noticed a number of egrets in the trees on the island as I drove along I759 into Gadsden and wondered if it could be a rookery. I decided to investigate further. The island was some distance across the water (see then note - upper left) from the Gadsden Mall parking lot which is where I went to take photos. Because of the distance, (based on Google Earth view over 750 feet), even at maximum zoom, I was essentially shooting blind. But happily, by cropping, I managed to get some fairly decent shots. During the winter the trees are occupied by numerous wintering cormorants. (IMG_1529)

At a rookery which is shared with great blue herons on a small island in the James D. Martin Wildlife Park, Gadsden, Alabama - a wetland that is part of the Coosa River watershed. I first noticed a number of egrets in the trees on the island as I drove along I759 into Gadsden and wondered if it could be a rookery. I decided to investigate further. The island was some distance across the water (see then note - upper left) from the Gadsden Mall parking lot which is where I went to take photos. Because of the distance, (based on Google Earth view over 750 feet), even at maximum zoom, I was essentially shooting blind. But happily, by cropping, I managed to get some fairly decent shots. During the winter the trees are occupied by numerous wintering cormorants. (IMG_1684)

I took this shot to show how far the the rookery was from where I was taking photos. It is in the James D. Martin Wildlife Park, Gadsden, Alabama - a wetland that is part of the Coosa River watershed. I first noticed a number of egrets in the trees on the island as I drove along I759 into Gadsden and wondered if it could be a rookery. I decided to investigate further. The island was some distance across the water (see then note - upper left) from the Gadsden Mall parking lot which is where I went to take photos. Because of the distance, (based on Google Earth view over 750 feet), even at maximum zoom, I was essentially shooting blind. But happily, by cropping, I managed to get some fairly decent shots. During the winter the trees are occupied by numerous wintering cormorants. (IMG_1675)

At a rookery in James D. Martin Wildlife Park - a Gadsden, Alabama, city park - a wetland that is part of the Coosa River watershed, (IMG_0941)

In breeding plumage with crests clearly visible at a rookery in James D. Martin Wildlife Park - a Gadsden, Alabama, city park - a wetland that is part of the Coosa River watershed, (IMG_0952)

At a rookery in James D. Martin Wildlife Park - a Gadsden, Alabama, city park - a wetland that is part of the Coosa River watershed, (IMG_1018)

At a rookery in James D. Martin Wildlife Park - a Gadsden, Alabama, city park - a wetland that is part of the Coosa River watershed, (IMG_0984)

At a rookery in James D. Martin Wildlife Park - a Gadsden, Alabama, city park - a wetland that is part of the Coosa River watershed, (IMG_0930)

At a rookery in James D. Martin Wildlife Park - a Gadsden, Alabama, city park - a wetland that is part of the Coosa River watershed, (IMG_1036)

At a rookery in James D. Martin Wildlife Park - a Gadsden, Alabama, city park - a wetland that is part of the Coosa River watershed, (IMG_0940)

At a rookery in James D. Martin Wildlife Park - a Gadsden, Alabama, city park - a wetland that is part of the Coosa River watershed, (IMG_0899)

At a rookery in James D. Martin Wildlife Park - a Gadsden, Alabama, city park - a wetland that is part of the Coosa River watershed, (IMG_0904)

In James D. Martin Wildlife Park - a Gadsden, Alabama, city park - a wetland that is part of the Coosa River watershed. (IMG_0928)