UTSW Rookery

Spring 2016 I started visiting the bird rookery at UTSW Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. It was my first time to see a rookery. In this gallery I am attempting to document what takes place in a rookery for each species of aquatic bird that comes here. It has been an amazing journey that I am sharing here. There are 8 species that nest here and I will divide them by species in the order that they show up.

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Battle Scars

I don't know exactly what happened to this egret I saw at the rookery but it has a big hole in its beak. It did not seem to slow it down any and it was still out there looking for love with the rest of them. This shot shows where those breeding plumes grow out of the back.
Great Egret (Ardea alba)
UT Southwest Medical Center Rookery

great egret egret white egret aquatic bird aquatic water fowl waders dallas texas ardea alba Rookery breeding season courtship behaviors displaying breeding nesting breeding plumage UT Southwest Medical Center breeding colors breeding plumes plumes wound battle scars injured