Taking a break from his nest building activities this Wood Stork might have thought he found a peaceful spot.
Ignoring the kerfuffle he got a drink…
Then another…
Maybe too much, interesting that he didn’t tip his head all the way back to swallow, at least this time.
The bigger scene:
There were a few White Ibis patrolling the area, too.
Cypress Wetlands, Port Royal, SC
April 5, 2024
There are at least a dozen pairs of Wood Storks actively building nests this week at Cypress Wetlands. Last year there were only two or three pairs–word about the good neighborhood has spread.
Some material contributions are tiny…
and some much more substantial.
Unlike some other wading birds that use mostly dead twigs, the Wood Storks seem to prefer picking live branches with some greenery.
Cypress Wetlands, Port Royal, SC
March 29, 2024
I just love the awkward, ancient look of the Wood Stork.
Cypress Wetlands, Port Royal, SC
March 13, 2024
I saw this Wood Stork approaching, high enough off the water I could capture him over the pond-side reeds.
He turned at just the right angle with just the right light to show off his green luminescent wing feathers.
Can you say awkward?
There was a dead fish floating in the pond that had caught his eye…
… as he got closer he changed his mind, touched the water and took off.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
November 30, 2023
The Spoonie Tree remains an attraction for the wading birds, even the precarious looking top.
It’s a balancing act.
Even a Wood Stork took a turn.
Meanwhile, a few other birds stuck to their spots on the lower branches.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
November 30, 2023
Any time there is bird feeding going on there are always a few characters that would rather steal than catch their own.
This Wood Stork was one of them, and notice that the fish the Great Egret has in its beak is hardly a great prize.
The Great Egret wasn’t giving it up…
…decided on an exit strategy…
… then a quick swallow and the Great Egret re-located down the pond.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
November 30, 2023
While watching a group of wading birds feed I kept hearing a clacking or crunching noise. I checked the Alligators, as I’ve seen them catch dinner plate sized blue crabs in this pond then crunch-crunch them…
Then I spotted it: the two right hand birds in this group of Wood Storks was doing some beak clacking or snapping. I couldn’t tell if it was all beak on beak, or if the individuals were also clapping their own beaks. Either was it was a pretty dramatic sound effect.
The behavior didn’t appear to be aggressive and I don’t know if it had some breeding implication.
A couple of the others just went on with their preening, the two on the right had a long look at the sky, then it was over.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
April 2, 2023
These wading birds were feeding in a newly lowered pond. This results in the fish becoming concentrated in a smaller and smaller amount of water and easy feeding for a wading bird. It’s fascinating to watch the feeding but can be difficult to get images of individual birds.
Eventually some of the birds got sated and flew off. A few more moved to the outer edge of the feeding, allowing for some isolated images.
There was a little breeze so the reflections weren’t perfect.
The Alligators didn’t appear to be hungry as at least a dozen of them were just floating around in between the birds.
If I couldn’t have dead calm for reflections I’d have been happier with a stiff breeze as the gnats were out in force that morning.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
April 2, 2023
A roosting Black Vulture was joined by a Wood Stork.
The Vulture was pretty much unfazed, even with all that flapping going on.
Settle down, look around…we’re at the top of the world!
The angle between these birds and my position created an optical illusion that these two birds are close in height. The Wood Stork actually is longer, weighs more, and has a slightly wider wing span.
Black Vulture:
Wood Stork:
From The Cornell Lab, All About Birds
St. Augustine Alligator Farm, St. Augustine, FL
January 20, 2023
To get to the other side?
Didn’t want to scare the rabbit–further down by the puddle?
Didn’t feel like flying?
Bear Island Wildlife Management Area, SC
September 14, 2022
