Sibling Roseate Spoonbills

by Rebecca Herranen

Title

Sibling Roseate Spoonbills

Artist

Rebecca Herranen

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Photograph - Photography

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Siblings ~ I have spent the last four months social distancing while watching the nesting birds around Florida. A gold mine! Way back in December I saw for the very first time the Roseate Spoonbill and I was smitten with these beautiful pink but rather odd prehistoric looking birds. In the spring they fly north as it warms up so never really got a great opportunity to see them again, but I was always looking for them.
We watched the various birds build nests, lay there eggs, got to see the little hatchlings and watch them grow up. It was amazing. However I always wanted to see the little Roseate Spoonbills.
We made a weekend trip to St. Augustine, Florida where there is a large bird rookery and heard there were nesting Roseate Spoonbills. On our way there my husband had said he read that spoonbills cull the nest sometimes, it made me sad to think of, but this is nature. I had managed not to see anything like that through the whole season and I didn't want to see it now.
I was so incredibly happy to witness this seen instead. A nest full of Roseate Spoonbill chicks in two sizes. I don't know if this little one is a late comer, a runt or what, but it was so teeny tiny compared to the other two who were about 1/3 the size of the parent. What was so heartwarming is that this big brother as I call him was actually tenderly taking care of his little sister. He cuddled her and even tried to feed her. I was then told that spoonbills do this at times, larger chicks will help out with their little siblings.
I LOVE the ending to this story better.

Uploaded

May 19th, 2021

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