Tag Archives: Wood Stork

Wood Storks Clacking

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…

Wood Storks
Wood Storks

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.

Wood Storks
Wood Storks

The behavior didn’t appear to be aggressive and I don’t know if it had some breeding implication.

Wood Storks
Wood Storks

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.

Wood Storks
Wood Storks

Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
April 2, 2023

Wood Storks and More

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.

Wading Birds Feeding
Wading Birds Feeding: Wood Storks, Great Egrets, Roseate Spoonbills

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.

Great Egret, Wood Stork, American Alligator
Great Egret, Wood Stork, American Alligator

There was a little breeze so the reflections weren’t perfect.

Wood Storks Feeding
Wood Storks Feeding

The Alligators didn’t appear to be hungry as at least a dozen of them were just floating around in between the birds.

Wood Storks Feeding, Alligator On The Scene
Wood Storks Feeding, Alligator On The Scene

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.

Wood Storks Feeding
Wood Storks Feeding

Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
April 2, 2023

Let’s Share

A roosting Black Vulture was joined by a Wood Stork.

Black Vulture and Wood Stork
Black Vulture and Wood Stork

The Vulture was pretty much unfazed, even with all that flapping going on.

Black Vulture and Wood Stork
Black Vulture and Wood Stork

Settle down, look around…we’re at the top of the world!

Black Vulture and Wood Stork
Black Vulture and Wood Stork

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 and Wood Stork
Black Vulture and Wood Stork

Black Vulture:

  • Length: 23.6-26.8 in (60-68 cm)
  • Weight: 56.4-77.6 oz (1600-2200 g)
  • Wingspan: 53.9-59.1 in (137-150 cm)

Wood Stork:

  • Length: 33.5-45.3 in (85-115 cm)
  • Weight: 72.3-93.1 oz (2050-2640 g)
  • Wingspan: 59.1-68.9 in (150-175 cm)

From The Cornell Lab, All About Birds

St. Augustine Alligator Farm, St. Augustine, FL
January 20, 2023

Wood Storks, Standing Around

Wood Storks, just hanging around on what was the bottom of the pond before the water was let out.

Wood Storks
Wood Storks

If you’ve read in previous posts about the cattails and cane that are clogging this pond, this stand behind the storks is part of what will get burned.

Wood Storks
Wood Storks

A different group, one kneeling and one laying down–always looks funny but that’s how they do it.

Wood Storks
Wood Storks

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
December 12, 2022

Wading Bird Frenzy

Earlier this fall I mentioned that the water was being drained from the big rice field pond at Magnolia in preparation for burning the invasive cattails. Conditions to start the fire didn’t come together before the approach of a late season hurricane  and with the potential for damage to the dikes from a storm management decided to let the water back in.

This past week they decided to try again. One of the staff told me they hope to burn by the end of December. In the mean time, wading birds have gathered to take advantage of easy feeding in the shallow water.

Wading Bird Frenzy
Wading Bird Frenzy

The alligator ramp in the upper right in the next photo would normally have water up to the lower end.

Wading Bird Frenzy
Wading Bird Frenzy

The Great Egret in the center caught a tiny fish, and a leaf.

Wading Bird Frenzy
Wading Bird Frenzy

It was a grey day so I didn’t get much contrast with all the white birds, but it was a fun show.

Wading Bird Frenzy
Wading Bird Frenzy

Perry Pond, Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston SC
December 4, 2022

Wood Stork: Tree Top Landing

With a wingspan around five feet (1.5 meters) the Wood Stork is neat to watch land.

Wood Stork Dropping In
Wood Stork Dropping In

This one was looking for sticks to take to his nest, but first he had to negotiate a touch down.

Wood Stork Landing in Tree
Wood Stork Landing in Tree

On the down beat you can see the green-black highlights in his wing.

Wood Stork Landing in Tree
Wood Stork Landing in Tree

He did successfully land but did not find any of these twigs to his liking and quickly moved on.

Wood Stork Landing in Tree
Wood Stork Landing in Tree

March 6, 2022