St. Augustine Alligator Farm = - Headed by Bill CoppedgeThe St. Augustine Alligator Farm located on A= nastasia Island is widely known as a rookery for many native wading bi= rds including Great Egrets, Wood Storks, Blue Herons, Tri-Colored Hero= ns, and Ibises.
=0D=0A =0D=0AVisiting this lo=
cation during the nesting season affords photographers an up close vie=
w of hundreds of wading birds in various stages of nesting. This inclu=
des nest building, eggs in incubation and various growth stages of bab=
y birds. The main viewing area is located along an elevated walkway in=
the back of the farm. \;Un=
derneath this walkway is a pond area where the alligators live. \; The rookery is located in the t=
rees surrounding the pond. \;This is a great opportunity to get very close to the birds in variou=
s stages of nesting. \;Some=
are so close that they are almost within arm&rsquo\;s length. You don=
&rsquo\;t have to have a long telephoto lens to get a great picture. M=
edium telephotos will work fine, but if you have a long telephoto lens=
, bring it.
The normal hours =
of operation are from 9am to 5pm. We will meet near the main entrance at 8:45am. The one day entra=
nce fee is $21.95.
If=
you decide to purchase the seasonal &ldquo\;Photo Pass&rdquo\;, the f=
ee is $79.95 and this allows you to enter at 8am. It doesn&rsquo\;t st=
ate it on the website, but with the &ldquo\;Photo Pass&rdquo\; you may=
be able to stay at least one hour after closing. \; If you get the &ldquo\;Photo Pass&rdquo\; and=
arrive early we will see you at the viewing area.
For more information about the St. Augustine All=
igator Farm go to www.alligator=
farm.com
Also there is a =
blog that will give you an idea of what type&rsquo\;s species of birds=
that you will see and the various stages that will be taking place.
1) Wear a hat to cover yo=
ur head because there will be birds flying around and they are not hou=
se broken.
2) Don&rsquo\;t st=
and under the trees and don&rsquo\;t look up with your mouth open (see=
#1)
3) We will have company =
so be patient. This is a very popular place for a reason. \;I find that sometimes it is best just=
to pick a spot and stay put for photographing flying birds.
4) bring your tripod and at minimum a medium=
telephoto lens. You can experiment with off camera flash, so bring on=
e if you have it. Better yet a flash with a &ldquo\;Better Beamer&rdqu=
o\; is popular among experienced bird photographers. The &ldquo\;Bette=
r Beamer&rdquo\; allows you to project flash lighting at longer distan=
ces than normal flash lighting.