Chicks and Gators at St. Augustine
On May 20th, I took a trip to St. Augustine to visit the St. Augustine Alligator Farm and other birding hot spots in the area. I previously posted pictures of the Least Terns and Wilson’s Plover from a beach excursion at Anastasia State Park but have been remiss in posting the Alligator Farm photos. At the Alligator Farm I was pleased to find Tricolored Heron, Great Egret, and Roseate Spoonbill chicks.
Not Today Ghost Crab!
While photographing Least Terns in St. Augustine I observed a ghost crab (also called sand crabs) raiding Least Tern nests. The crab would go from nest to nest, I suppose in search of eggs or chicks, but fortunately for the birds it was too early in the season for the crab to have any luck.
She Almost Ran Over This Baby Bird
Shore birds like the Wilson’s Plover nest in scrapes in the sand near sand dunes. That’s where I recently found some 2-3 day old Wilson Plover chicks out exploring the beach - and saved them from getting run over!