mark_van_bergh Posted May 13, 1998 Share Posted May 13, 1998 A colleague of mine at work is travelling to St. Augustine, Florida early next week. I mentioned to him the St. Augustine rookery and the alligator farm as places he might want to visit if he has some time, but couldn't tell him precisely where they are. Also, I may be in that area in October (a friend's wedding in Daytona Beach) and I may have a chance to check it out. So, can anyone provide directions or a specific location? Thanks in advance for the assistance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don_baccus Posted May 14, 1998 Share Posted May 14, 1998 From Lane's "A Birder's Guide To Florida"... <p> "South of St. Augustine, the better spots are along FL-A1A. Go south from Street A across the Bridge of Lions over the Matanzas River, and turn left on White Street (1.0 mile) to Lighthouse Park on Salt Run... <p> Nearby is the St. Augustine Alligator Farm (hours 9-5:30, on Mondays in summer open until 9). One of the most intriguing phenomenon you'll see anywhere occurs each afternoon as thousands of heron, egrets, and ibis return from a day of feeding in the salt marshes to their rookery in the lofty oaks along the nature trail. Breeeding starts in April and is finished by early June, but the rookery is active year round." <p> Though not exact directions, since Lane didn't bother after giving precise directions to Lighthouse Park though I'd guess "nearby" also means "you can't miss it"... <p> Hope this helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff_hallett Posted May 17, 1998 Share Posted May 17, 1998 Being a resident of the "old City" I can tell you exactly where it is since I live about 7 min. from it. As you cross the Bridge of Lions from downtown you will be on AIA. Continue on this road until it starts to curve to the right( about 3 mi.) You will se the St Augustine Alligator Farm on your right. Pay your fee and enter the photo contest if you like. The rookery is a few minutes walk and a nice redone boardwalk traverses the area. Go early to avoid tourists shaking the boardwalk. As of last Thurs. there were a number of Great Egrets mating , displaying and nesting along with Snowy Egrets and Cattle Egrets all in varying stages of spring rites. In AM you can get nice shots of Yellow and Black-Crowned Night herons. Late afternoon is best as most of the activity faces West or is nicely sidelit. A 400mm is all you need but lots of folks seem to enjoy lugging the big glass around.This is not necessary here unless you want very close shots of gators and individual birds. Don,t bother coming after mid June this year unless you want gator shots and zoo fare as the rookery will be empty until next Mar/April. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris m., central florida Posted September 7, 1998 Share Posted September 7, 1998 It seems like there are enough directions provided above, so I am only going to put in my two cents about this location. I am an amateur photographer on a very limited budget. Some of the best bird shots I have taken were at the Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL. All I had with me was a cheap Sigma 70/200mm zoom lens, and even that was enough to get me a few full frame images of egrets and other roosting birds. It's definitely worth visiting during late March and early April - you will not be dissappointed. I'll be going back next spring, after I purchase a high quality 300 or 400mm lens. Plan to spend at least two days in the area, as St Augustine is a beautiful city to shoot, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry h. Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 I'm looking for an update on the St. Augustine Rookery for early to mid April 2003. What stage of growth will the various species of chicks be this time of year? What species are there besides the various herons and egrets? Is it a small area similar to the Venice Rookery or is it a more extensive area? Is it on an island inside the Alligator Park? (Is the Alligator Park itself too kitchy or is it worth seeing in its own right? BTW, I've seen plenty of alligators in the Okefenokee and SW Florida.) From a photographic point of view, is a 400mm really enough? IMO, it really wasn't at the Venice Rookery, but I still got some decent shots there. Can someone compare distances and vantage points for me to the Venice Rookery? Or should I try to borrow my friend's 800mm even though I didn't get good results with that in SW Florida (most likely a technique and tripod problem)? Finally, if someone like Jeff Hallett or others that live there could email me directly about other (non-photographic) issues such as good places to stay and good places to visit besides the rookery and the old Spanish fort for a pair of 9-year olds and a wife, I'd appreciate it. Thanks. Jeff-I'm going to try to email you directly since I haven't seen your name recently on photo.net. THX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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