#Rookery December 9

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Throughout December 2024, several of us are taking part in the 30-Day PPT Coach4aday Challenge. PPT is an acronym for People Places or Things. Each day we share our insights, thoughts, or memories about a person (living or dead), a place (we have visited or learned about) or a thing that intrigues us. Today I am going to write about a place called a ROOKERY.

A rookery is a communal nesting ground for different types of birds. One species that is prevalent in Yellowstone National Park is the Giant Blue Heron. Visitors to the park are most likely to see them in Hayden Valley or along the Madison River.

The rookery provides protection to infant birds. It is a lot like a great neighborhood. The herons do not share individual nest duties but the collection of nests in a small area gives the chicks extra protection and advantages. With more adult birds in small area, predators may be spotted more quickly. Kinda of like a neighborhood watch.

People, Places, & Things 30-Day Challenge Guidelines

Like previous challenges there are no hard and fast rules to participate. There are a few suggested guidelines

1. Each day in December 2024 write about a Person, Place or Thing-PPT
2. Share at least one fact, memory, or quality about your subject choice.
3. If so inclined use the hash tag #Coach4adayChallenge on social media platforms

December 9th-Rookery

Here are three great rookeries in the United States where large colonies of birds gather to nest and breed:

1. St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park, Florida: Known for its incredible rookery that attracts thousands of wading birds such as herons, egrets, and roseate spoonbills during nesting season.
2. Smith Oaks Rookery on High Island, Texas: A premier site for birdwatchers, this rookery is famous for nesting species like roseate spoonbills, great egrets, and cormorants in a protected habitat surrounded by ponds and trees.
3. Alcatraz Island, California: This former prison island in San Francisco Bay is now a sanctuary for seabirds, including cormorants, snowy egrets, and black-crowned night herons, which nest on the cliffs and ruins.