Rookeries

In James D. Martin Wildlife Park - a Gadsden, Alabama, city park - a wetland that is part of the Coosa River watershed, (IMG_0763)

A mating behavior being performed by a great blue heron pair on their nest at a rookery in James D. Martin Wildlife Park ,a city park that is a wetland backwater formed at the mouth of Black Creek by Alabama Power Company's Neeley Henry Dam impoundment of the Coosa River, Gadsden, Alabama (IMG_5126)

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_0998)

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_1020)

In James D. Martin Wildlife Park - a Gadsden, Alabama, city park - a wetland that is part of the Coosa River watershed, (IMG_0760)

These great blue heron young are in rookery shared with great egrets 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 last year and wondered if it could have been a rookery. Seeing the egrets again this year, I decided to investigate further. The island was some distance across the water (see note) 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), I was essentially shooting blind. But happily, thanks to enough megapixels and severe cropping, I managed to get some fairly decent shots. As can be seen, I also discovered that the egrets shared the rookery with the great blue herons that were not easily as seen from the distance as the white egrets were. This past winter the trees were occupied by numerous wintering cormorants. (IMG_1682)

Great egrets at a rookery in the James D. Martin Wildlife Park - a Gadsden, Alabama city park, a wetland that is part of the Coosa River watershed (IMG_0456)

In a rookery in James D. Martin Wildlife Park - a Gadsden, Alabama, city park - a wetland that is part of the Coosa River watershed, (IMG_0726)

Now that the trees are leafing out, getting a clear shot will be difficult. Taken at a rookery in the James D. Martin Wildlife Park, a Gadsden City Park that is wetland backwater of the Coosa River formed at the mouth of Black Creek by the impoundment of the river by a hydroelectric dam. (IMG_5419)

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_0962)

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_1020)

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_1000)

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_1007)

In James D. Martin Wildlife Park - a Gadsden, Alabama, city park - a wetland that is part of the Coosa River watershed, (IMG_0761)

In James D. Martin Wildlife Park - a Gadsden, Alabama, city park - a wetland that is part of the Coosa River watershed, (IMG_0771)

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_1005)

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_0988)

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_0805)