This zoomed out satellite photograph reveals the urban nature
of the UTSWMC campus and the surrounding area. The wooded area
in the center of the picture is, of course, the rookery.

Zooming in on the wooded area provides the first clue as to just
how special this find is. A close look reveals that the trees are
absolutely covered in white dots, most of which are Great Egrets.

For many years I have noticed an abundance of Great Egrets (and other species of egrets and herons) in the general vicinity. Driving up and down I-35 on a regular basis it is hard not to notice the large and majestic birds flying back and forth overhead. But this concentration of egrets, ect. was something I attributed simply to the close proximity of the Trinity River as it meanders its way past the downtown Dallas area.

Recently, however, I ventured off of the main highway and into a part of town that I have rarely visited. Here on Inwood Road, I noticed that many of the Great Egrets flying through the area were carrying sticks, twigs, and other nesting materials in their beaks. And then, just a little further down the road, I discovered a park-like setting where many of these birds were on the ground engaging in mating displays.

Just off of Inwood Road, Memorial Gardens Park buffers the
northern approach to the rookery.

A closer look at the lovely park setting.

I knew right away that there was something special going on at this location, and at my first opportunity I logged onto the Internet to have a look at the area from the air via Google Maps satellite images. I wanted to try and determine whether a visit and exploration of the area would be feasible, and I was amazed at what I found when I zoomed in on the satellite photos.

Not only was the rookery readily accessible, but the satellite photos show an absolute abundance of the large white bird virtually covering the majority of the trees.

Searching the Internet further, I quickly discovered a few interesting tidbits of information about the park (none of which I can verify absolutely). Evidently the area has been established as a bird santcuary, and has been used as a rookery by these large wading birds for as long a anyone can remember. Reported species observations include sightings of Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Black-crowned Night-Herons, Little Blue Herons, Cattle Egrets, Anhingas, White Ibis, Tri-colored Herons, Great Blue Herons, Yellow-crowned Night-Herons, and White-faced Ibis.

This virtual smorgasboard of wading birds made a visit to the park irresistable, and as you might imagine, only a few days later I made a special trip to the rookery with my camera in hand. When I arrived, I was absolutely blown away by what I saw there. There were literally hundreds of herons and egrets, with representatives of many species present. Many were already engaged in nesting and brooding activities.

The birds were very tolerant of my presence, and there was an abundance of opportunities to photograph these birds at relatively close range without disturbing their nesting activities (access to the rookery is controlled for the bird's protection. Please obey all signage when you visit).

As I continue to collect photos over the spring and summer, I will document my findings in articles specifically about each species that I encounter at the park. But, in the meanwhile, here are just a few preview pictures to whet your appetite:

A Great Egret flying in from the north with nesting
material in its beak.

A pair of nesting Great Egrets.

A beautiful Black-crowned Night-heron.

A Great Egret putting on a show.

Mating or fighting? I'm not sure what explains the behavior
of these two Great Egrets.

A Little Blue Heron. Note the lovely shade of violet over its
head and neck.

What a privilege it was to see this Tricolored Heron!

A pair of Cattle Egrets nestled deep in the woods.

This photograph was taken from the top level of a parking garage just
to the east of the rookery. Looking out over the woods, this picture clearly
shows just how urbanized the areas around the rookery are. Note the Great Egret
flying by just at the level of the horizon. Also notice the numerous white birds
covering the trees just before the building near the bottom right-hand corner
of the photograph.

A solitary Snowy Egret.

A Snowy Egret with its red breeding coloration.

After the chicks began to hatch, empty eggs shells littered the ground
in some areas.

If you look carefully at this picture you can see the head of a small fish
protruding from behind this empty egg shell. Fish are a staple of these birds diet,
and after the first chicks were hatched the smell of regurgitated fish became quite
strong in the general vinicity of the rookery.

A rare Anhinga!

A Black-crowned Night-heron with a number of small egrets in the background.

A Great Egret and at least two chicks.

The mother Great Egret feeding its young. Regurgitated fish, no doubt!