3-Day Photo Tour · Two Locations
Spoonbills Florida Photography Tour
Join award-winning wildlife photojournalist Ronen Tivony on the Spoonbills Florida photography tour, an exclusive three-day photo adventure built around one of North America’s most striking wading birds: the Roseate Spoonbill. This small-group tour visits two of Florida’s richest spoonbill locations during peak breeding season, when vivid pink plumage, courtship displays, and nesting behavior are at their most photogenic.
A Spoonbills Florida Photography Tour Built Around Two Locations
Most bird photography workshops put you in one place for one day. This tour is different: three full days across two of Florida’s best Roseate Spoonbill locations, timed to catch the species at multiple points in its breeding cycle.
Across the three days, you’ll spend time at a dense, established rookery for intimate courtship and nesting behavior, and at open wetland habitat for wider vantage points and different light, with a photo review and critique built into every day. You come home with a genuinely varied portfolio, not fifty versions of the same shot.
Why This Tour
Why This Spoonbills Florida Photography Tour Is Different
- Two locations, one trip: a nesting rookery for intimate courtship and chick-rearing shots, plus open wetlands for flight and flock behavior.
- Timed to the Roseate Spoonbill's actual breeding calendar, not just whenever a tour date happens to fall.
- Guided personally by Ronen Tivony, a Royal Photographic Society Fellow and Florida Master Naturalist, from start to finish.
- Groups capped at 5 photographers, or fully private one-on-one instruction if you'd rather set your own pace.
- Real-time, in-the-field coaching on camera settings, composition, and anticipating behavior, not a guided walk with occasional pointers.
Dates & Pricing
Spoonbills Florida Photography Tour Dates & Pricing
Private tours run mid-February through the end of May, matching the Roseate Spoonbill’s peak breeding window. Because groups are capped and dates are seasonal, popular weeks book up early.
3-Day Private Photo Tour & Workshop
- ✓Three full days in the field, timed to golden hour
- ✓Daily photo review and critique
- ✓All in-tour transportation between locations
- ✓Park fees at both locations
Accommodations and meals are not included.
Group Tour
- ✓Minimum 3, maximum 5 participants
- ✓Three full days of expert guidance and instruction
- ✓Daily photo review and critique for every participant
- ✓Same two-location itinerary as the private tour
A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your spot. The remaining balance is due one week before the tour.
Where You’ll Photograph
Where You'll Photograph on This Spoonbills Florida Photography Tour
The two locations sit about 95 to 110 miles apart, roughly a 90-minute to 2-hour drive, which is part of why this tour spans three full days rather than a single outing. Transportation between them is included.
St. Augustine Alligator Farm Rookery
- A world-famous rookery with more than 800 active nests, viewed from elevated boardwalks just feet from the birds.
- Peak Roseate Spoonbill nesting activity runs April through May, with courtship displays, head-bobbing rituals, and stick-gathering flights concentrated in March and April.
- Birds here are habituated to visitors, which means calmer subjects and more natural behavior to photograph up close.
- Best light: early morning, when courtship displays are most active and the boardwalk shade hasn't yet burned off the low sun.
Orlando Wetlands Park
- 1,656 acres of diverse wetland habitat with boardwalk access, home to over 220 documented bird species.
- An increasingly important spoonbill habitat, with the best activity from February through April.
- Wide-open sightlines and natural light make for clean, uncluttered backgrounds that the denser rookery can't offer.
- Best light: late afternoon, from about 4:00 to 6:00 PM, when golden hour crosses the open water.
Choose Your Experience
Choose Your Spoonbills Florida Photography Tour Experience
Whether you want focused one-on-one coaching or a small, sociable group, this tour adapts to how you like to learn.
One-on-One Private Instruction
- Undivided attention for the full three days, with the itinerary built around your goals.
- Learn at your own pace, with tailored guidance on camera settings, composition, and reading wildlife behavior.
- Real-time feedback in the field during the split-second moments that make or break a shot.
- The right choice if you're working through a specific technical challenge or want to move faster than a group allows.
Small Groups, Capped at 5 Participants
- A small, sociable group that still gets personalized instruction, not a crowded bus tour.
- Shared vantage points with individual coaching worked in throughout each session.
- A lower-cost way to get expert guidance if you don't need one-on-one attention.
- Every participant gets photo review time, not just a group critique at the end.
Who It’s For
Who Should Book This Spoonbills Florida Photography Tour
Because Ronen tailors every session to the individual, you are never working through material that is too basic or too advanced for where you are right now. Beginners learn the fundamentals of exposure, focus, and composition in a forgiving, wildlife-rich environment. Intermediate photographers refine their technique for fast-moving subjects and variable light. Advanced participants push toward editorial-quality storytelling, behavior anticipation, and creative composition. The small group cap of five participants ensures you receive genuine attention throughout, not general commentary delivered to a crowd.
Instructor
About Your Guide, Ronen Tivony
Ronen Tivony is an award-winning wildlife photojournalist based in Florida. His work has been published by major outlets worldwide, including The New York Times, National Geographic, The Guardian, CNN, and BBC. He is a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and a Certified Florida Master Naturalist with decades of field experience. Ronen designed the Spoonbills Florida Photography Tour around the locations and timing he uses in his own published work, so you’re photographing the same behavior and light he’s built a career on.
Best Time to Shoot
Timing Your Spoonbills Florida Photography Tour
Roseate Spoonbill breeding plumage peaks from March through May, when pale pink deepens into brilliant magenta and adults show golden-buff head coloring you won’t see the rest of the year. That’s why private tour dates run mid-February through the end of May. Each day in the field is built around the two golden-hour windows that actually matter for this species: early morning from about 6:00 to 8:30 AM, and late afternoon from about 4:00 to 6:30 PM.
Read our full seasonal guide to photographing Roseate Spoonbills in Florida for the full seasonal breakdown.
What to Bring
What to Bring on Your Spoonbills Florida Photography Tour
Camera and Lens
Bring a DSLR or mirrorless body with a telephoto lens; a 100-400mm or 200-600mm range works well for both the close rookery shots at St. Augustine and the wider-open scenes at Orlando Wetlands. If you own something shorter, bring it anyway. Ronen works with whatever gear you have.
Power, Storage, and Rain Protection
Bring fully charged spare batteries and multiple formatted memory cards, since you shoot continuously across three full days. Florida’s spring brings occasional showers, so pack a rain cover or dry bag for your gear.
Clothing and Comfort
Wear muted, natural tones. Bring sunscreen, insect repellent, a hat, and comfortable closed-toe shoes for the boardwalks at both locations. Both sites are paved and boardwalk-accessible, with no hiking required.
Extend Your Trip
More Florida Spoonbill Photography Locations
Want to extend your trip? Ronen can guide you to these additional spoonbill hotspots, each timed to the season when the birds and the light are best.
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
Central Florida's premier spoonbill hotspot, with protected wetlands and accessible wildlife drives.
Alafia Bank Bird Sanctuary (Tampa Bay)
One of Florida's largest spoonbill rookeries, reached by boat for striking distant portraits.
J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge (Sanibel Island)
Coastal mangroves with varied habitat and easy viewing routes.
Myakka River State Park (Sarasota)
Boardwalk birding with opportunities for intimate close-ups.
Stick Marsh (Treasure Coast)
A key wildlife area supporting active nesting colonies.
Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (Naples)
A pristine mangrove ecosystem with diverse bird species.
Venice Area Audubon Rookery
Known for its evening roost views and easy access.
FAQ
Spoonbills Florida Photography Tour FAQ
The tour proceeds in light rain, since birds are often more active in those conditions. For severe weather, we offer a full refund or a reschedule.
Yes. Both locations host dozens of species, including great blue herons, wood storks, egrets, anhingas, and seasonal migrants.
February through May offers peak breeding plumage and behavior, with March and April typically the strongest window.
Absolutely. All skill levels are welcome, with instruction tailored to where you’re starting from.
Since group tours run 3 to 5 participants and private dates run mid-February through May, booking 6 to 8 weeks ahead gives you the best choice of dates.
Both locations are paved, boardwalk-accessible sites with no hiking required, though you’ll be on your feet for each shooting session.
Transportation between St. Augustine and Orlando Wetlands is included with the private tour. It is not included with the group tour. Accommodations and meals are not included with either tour.
Group tours require a minimum of 3 participants and are capped at 5, which keeps instruction personal while keeping the per-person rate lower than private one-on-one guidance.
The $500 deposit is non-refundable and reserves your date. The remaining balance is due one week before the tour.
Ready to Photograph the Roseate Spoonbill at Its Best?
Reserve your Spoonbills Florida Photography Tour today and spend three days in the field with a National Geographic-published photojournalist, at two of Florida’s best spoonbill locations, during peak breeding season.