Thursday, July 21, 2011

Rookery Visit - Pam Johnson Brickell

Ever since I saw my first Wood Stork I've wanted to observe, sketch and photograph them throughout their nesting cycle.

This year I got my wish :)

For the first time ever recorded, Wood Storks chose to nest on Spring Island! Yeah! They're relatively close by and I have access!

My first trip to check out the rookery was back in June. I saw a few hatchlings and some Storks were still sitting on eggs.

click to enlarge
I had just purchased a Platinum brush pen from JetPens and tried it out in my Aqua Bee sketchbook.

Yesterday, Rob and I arrived at the rookery around 8:30 a.m. The day promised to be steamy. We walked past black vultures that were standing on the ground.  We were ho hums to them. That's what I love about Spring Island. Wildlife is revered there and everything/one lives in harmony. The rookery was teaming with activity. Snowy egrets, Black-crowned Night Herons, Great Egrets, Little Blue Herons, Anhinga and Wood Storks were in the trees. Most of the sounds, or should I say the loudest, came from the juvi Wood Storks. Music to my ears :)

During my June visit, I sat close to a sand trap and suffered many a red ant bite. This time I set up my chair and scope well away from from the sand. I dowsed my self in sunscreen proir to leaving the house and now bug spray. Yuck, but necessary.

Here are my on-location sketches. The ants found me anyway and they paid no attention to bug spray! I was so warm I kept fogging up the eyepiece of my scope. I managed to get a few good digi-scope images early on.
Not real sharp but good enough for my reference purposes. I used the begging juvi to fill a spot on the right side of the journal page.

If you look real close at the photo you will notice a juvi with it's beak
pointed straight up to the adult's head. The beak blends with the dead tree.

6 comments:

  1. Pam, thank you so much for the wonderful description, sketches and photo of the rookery! It sounds like a most fascinating time, in spite of the humidity and biting insects.

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  2. I would SO love to see this...you make me feel as if I'm right there...

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  3. Thanks, Kathryn! Sometimes putting up with annoyances and bugs are well worth the visual delights in front of you... Definitely so this time :)

    Thank you, Kate! Come on over :) I'd so love to have a recording of the rookery's music to play with the post!

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  4. Wonderful Pam to have such access And perseverance to get such great sketches. The finished page is wonderful!
    Sandy
    Myfiddlestix

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  5. This is really great PJ, and what a great experience! You've captured some lovely poses here, beautiful!

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  6. Thanks, Sandy and Maree! I hope the hot weather subsides a bit so I can go back :)

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