In The Pink
There is something absolutely joyful about Roseate Spoonbills. There’s the almost comical look of the large odd bill, their football shaped bodies and of course, the pink feathers! Gotta love a pink bird! Here in St. Augustine, we have an abundance of them in the various estuaries. They feed in the shallow water of low tide, roost in trees at high tide and grace the air with their flight - neck stretched out straight and long red legs dangling down.
It’s obvious how they got their name. The long bill is flattened at the end like a large wooden spoon. They feed by swinging the bill back and forth in the shallow brackish water to feast on crustaceans and minnows. Their diet is responsible for the color of their feathers, like their pink cousins the flamingoes. The head is slightly greenish and their eyes are red. This bird does color in a big bold way.
They were nearly brought to extinction in the late 1800s by hunters after their lovely feathers - a prize to adorn women’s fans and hats, until nature conservation stepped in to end this awful practice. As a photographer, it is a prize catch to find them feeding in the shallows and mud of Moultrie Creek in my neighborhood because it produces lovely reflections like the one above. I also love catching them in flight above the marsh - the contrast of that joyful pink against the sky or the bright green marsh grasses.
St. Augustine has many locations where roseates congregate with other wading birds like ibis and herons. I have never seen any level of competition or aggressive behavior in these groupings. They share the estuaries and rookeries and seem to be enjoying the sense of community they share. In the photo below you can see spoonbills, ibis and a single night heron that has decided to just sit in the mud!
The same community feeling can be seen as they perch in trees in the midday. They tend to feed in the mornings and evenings and just “hang out” together until the next chance to forage. The rookery you see below is inside the large complex of Flagler Hospital, a lovely sight for the dedicated medical professionals walking from the parking lot next to this rookery to their work post.
Having that oversized beak it’s a bit of a challenge for a roseate spoonbill to take those needed naps. To accomplish a restful position, they turn their heads back and relax the neck so the long flat bill can lie down on their back.
Walking around the rookeries near the hospital I have been lucky to find a small collection of discarded feathers. They feel like prizes to me. In my home office I have lots of books of poetry - another love of mine. As a fun little gift to myself, I have “hidden” pink feathers inside some of the books. Since I am a senior citizen - the reality is I quickly forget where they are, only to be pleasantly surprised when I open a favorite book to a favorite poem and out pops a lovely surprise. Here is a poem by artist and poet Brian Andreas from his book Still Mostly True.
If everything goes as planned, I will be leaving September 9th to walk the 500 plus miles of the Camino de Santiago - from St. Jean Pied de Port, France to the coast of Spain. In this most recent COVID upsurge, this is more than just a physically challenging choice. I am following the advice of this poem closely to drop words of comfort in an effort to be taken care of by myself.
The following image closes out this month’s blog. It was done using a filter in the photo app Prisma, to give it a more whimsical feel. This image can be purchased as a canvas print, a photo card or on the back of a tshirt. Thanks for supporting Eva’s Birds I View.
