Spoonbills

Roseate Spoonbills, if judged by their featherless heads and spatula-shaped bills, would not win many beauty contests. However, their plumage is spectacular. These birds nest back in the mangroves well out-of-sight. Discovery of a nest we could actually see through a temporary "window" in the mangrove branches was pretty exciting. We photographed from a distance with telephoto lenses. When hatched, the young are clothed in a white down that does not conceal the glowing pink of the skin. I believe these hatchlings are only one or two days old. Images by Lou Newman.