FLORIDA – VENICE – Audubon Rookery

Photo Experience:  An island in the middle of a small lake, Venice Audubon Rookery is not as heavily vegetated as it used to be, probably due to the hurricanes that have blown through this area in recent years. However, it remains a great place to observe and photograph nesting behavior of great blue herons, great egrets, and anhingas. (I think hurricane winds are responsible for lowering the height of the island’s vegetation, making it easier to keep telephone wires – just beyond the Rookery property – out of your photographs.) Early morning is the best time to be here, both for the direction of the light and the birds being more active than later in the day. A 300mm lens is the minimum telephoto that I would recommend at this location. I would also suggest walking around the shoreline at some point during your visit: other non-nesting wildlife I’ve observed here include black-crowned night herons, green herons, alligators, soft-shelled turtles, and, in nearby fields, sandhill cranes.

Other Info:   Directions: From the intersection of US 41 (Tamiami Trail) and Jacaranda Boulevard, go 1/8 mile north on US 41. Turn left onto Annex Road at the Anderson Sarasota County Administration Building. Follow Annex Road to the Rookery Pavilion on the right and the parking area on the left.