Love is in the air at the Venezia Rookery. The birds (and the bees) are there doing the thing they are so celebrated for, and you can take images of it! Seriously, though, the Venezia Rookery is an ideal topographic point to exposure birds mating, edifice their nests, fighting for district and eating their chicks. It’s A requisite for bird photographers, and absolute delectation for the remainder of us.

A rookery is a genteelness land for certain birds and animals. At the Venezia Rookery, you’ll see snowy egret, great egret, anhinga, great bluish heron, tricolour heron, nighttime heron, and the like. Active during the calendar months from November to April, the birds are most photogenic showing their genteelness colours in February and March.

HOW TO get THERE

The Venezia Rookery is located in a Sarasota County parkland within the metropolis of Venice, Florida, about one-half manner between Tampa and Garrison Myers on Florida’s West coast. It is monitored by the Venezia chapter of the John James Audubon Society. To acquire to the Rookery, take I-75 to Brazilian Rosewood Avenue (Exit 193). Go right (north) on United States Highway 41 until you see the State Highway Patrol Office located at 4000 S. Tamiami Trail. Bend left just past the Office, as if you were going there, but instead follow the route all of the manner back until you attain the parkland in about a mile. Parking is to your left. It is free, plentiful and convenient to the Rookery on your right. There is no entranceway fee.

The Venezia Rookery itself is a little island in a lake, which constitutes a natural barrier. The island is full of little trees and shrubs where the birds construct their nests. They wing to surrounding countries for the good nest-building lodges and nutrient but soon return, giving plentifulness of chances for flight shots. When the biddies are born, you will see the wonderments of nature as the parents work together to feed them. You also acquire to see some unusual behaviour when the snakebird biddies lodge their caputs all of the manner down the pharynxes of their parents to acquire food.

HOW TO get YOUR best SHOTS

The best picture taking can be had during the morning time light, when the sun is over your shoulder. The birds also be given to be more than active in the morning. While you can tramp around the margin of the pool for the afternoon light, the picture taking entree is limited and difficult. Instead, stay on the shore next to the parking batch for dramatic silhouette shots in the afternoon.

You don’t demand to worry about a unsighted at any time because the birds have got go habituated to people, who are separated from the nests by the pond. All you necessitate to make is base on the shore along with the other photographers and birders, and fire away. Although the country is small, it hosts a assortment and a enormous amount of bird activity. For the best shots, you’ll demand large glass of 500mm or more than to exposure the birds on the island, especially the chicks. You can acquire by with less for the flight shots or for the few times that the birds acquire close to shore. Discover the place where some of the top bird photographers go. If you have got large glass, or just desire to watch dozens of great bird activity in one place that is easy to acquire to, the Venezia Rookery is the topographic point for you.

MISCELLANEOUS

The parkland comforts are minimal. It dwells of the parking lot, the pool and portable toilets. There are no nutrient services or attendants. However, because the Rookery is in the town of Venice, there are plenty of installations stopping point by. A gas station with a mini-mart full of critical bites is across the street from the Highway Patrol Office. Other eating houses and installations can be establish on United States Highway 41, which is a chief entree route through the city. Some options are Applebee’s Vicinity Grillroom (4329 Tamiami Trail S.), British Shilling Herbert Mclean Evans Restaurant (4080 Tamiami Trail) and the Alpine Steak House (4520 S. Tamiami Trail). Because the Rookery is in the city, there are plenty of lodging options. Brand your reserves in advance, especially during the springtime interruption weeks. The full West seashore of Sunshine State is a hot topographic point during that time. If you don’t do your programs in advance, you may have got to drive for hours to happen a place to stay. Some options are the Days Hostel (two statute statute statute statute miles away) http://www.daysinnvenice.com/, the Motel 6 (4 miles away) http://www.motel6.com/reservations/motel_detail.asp?MotelId=0364&state=FL&full=Florida&city=Venice, the Best Western Ambassador Suites (4 miles away) http://www.bestwesternflorida.com/details.cfm, and the Vacation Hostel (4.5 miles away) http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en/hd/srqvn?irs=null.

The country is not very well shaded, so convey your sun block lotion and a wide-brimmed hat. You also may desire to convey a lawn chair to take a speedy interruption and bites to maintain you shooting throughout the morning time hours. The photographic chances are so great; you don’t desire to blow time with immaterial items.

Another bonus of the Venezia Rookery is its stopping point propinquity to many other premier places for bird photography. They include the Ding Darling National Wildlife Safety on Sanibel Island http://dingdarling.fws.gov/, the Six Mile Cypress Gangrene in Ft. Myers http://www.captiva.com/stateparks/sixmilecypress.htm, the Corkscrew Swamp Continue in Napoli http://www.captiva.com/stateparks/corkscrew.htm, and Ft. Desoto Park in Tierra Verde http://www.pinellascounty.org/park/05_Ft_DeSoto.htm. All of these locations are so great for bird photography, they rate their ain article.

Copyright 2005 Carolyn E. Wright