Today I found two beautiful Roseate Spoonbills while visiting St. Augustine, Florida on a day trip. I don't recall actually seeing them before in the wild as they are more common in Southern Florida.
From a distance my first thought was "Is that a Flamingo?!". The pink feathers on its backside were stunning.
I got closer and thought it must be some sort of stork?
The large shovel or "Spoonbill" was flat, long and wide. The Roseata would push its Spoonbill into the muck and move it side to side, slightly agape.
I took this wide shot to show what an amazing scene this was in person. This Roseata Spoonbill was feeding on the intercoastal waterway and the entrance to the Atlantic Ocean, along with those boats, was not far in the distance.
After watching one for about 10 minutes, what I assume was their mate appeared from around the corner!
For over 30 minutes of serene, relaxing beauty, I watched them efficiently sift through the muck.
During that time I only caught one of them taking a momentary preening break.
What an amazing bird!! One of my new favorites.
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