The marsh grasses are changing color as fall progresses. All the vegetation around the ponds is settling and we see less green each time we visit.
Photo taken 10/13/2017.
Great Egret Over Wood Storks
Tag Archives: Wood Stork
Early Morning Walk
These three Wood Storks were just standing around in the shallow end of the pond.
Two decided to relocate on foot, further away of course. They weren’t moving fast but it was less than a minute before they were beyond camera range.
A Little Blue Heron tagged along. The smaller birds often follow the larger ones, hoping to share good feeding spots.
Click any photo for larger view.
Perfect Landing
Circling at low altitude, the Wood Stork loops several times looking for the perfect spot to drop down.
Found it! In this marsh of reeds and canals it was nice of him to pick a spot where I could see the ground.
Pay no attention to others in the landing zone.
Nailed it! A little ruffle and show off of the green wing tips and he was down.
The Snowy Egret never turned his head.
Click on photos for larger view.
Wood Storks
I startled a few of these Wood Storks, which then startled me, when I walked under a tree where they were perched. They took off then settled in on the other side of a small pond.
The path through this sanctuary led underneath the new tree. Knowing they were there I approached slowly and got some nice shots from below.
The pine tree made a much better backdrop than the usual mud we see them wading in.
Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site, Charleston, SC.
Carry On
Pay no attention to the Great Egret blocking the way…
The Wood Storks kept moving forward with their heads down and the Egret moved.
They had serious business to do gathering lunch from the shrinking stream created by the outgoing tide.
Click on any photo for larger view.
Wood Stork Flying Low
The tide was nearly low and the wading birds were steadily gathering food in the condensed water at the edge of the marsh. A group of six or eight Wood Storks waded back and forth mostly with their heads down searching for fish.
As the water continued to drain, occasionally they would fly back to where the water was deeper.
The moon-scape look of the exposed sand made this stork with his big shadow look even more pre-historic.
Wood Stork in Flight
I’ve not had much success getting shots of the larger wading birds in flight with any context even with all the recent photography opportunities nearby. They are so big it’s hard to get a good angle that includes so much as a tree.
These photographs of a Wood Stork do give a sense of their wingspan, even with nothing else but the sky in the photos. And their subtle green color is shown off when the wings are flapping “down.”
Don’t Mind Me
Don’t mind me, I’m just passing by.
The wading birds rarely show any acknowledgement that an Alligator is in their midst. They just keep on doing what they were doing, in this case looking for breakfast.
Me and My Reflection
The Ibis worked the water diligently while casting his reflection under the stationary Wood Stork.
Wading Bird Extravaganza
We found the mother lode today. Of wading birds, that is. A state managed wildlife area near us controls the water depth in these impoundments to “provide quality habitat” for various bird species. Some days you go here and see nothing. Today was nothing short of amazing.
At this time of year the water is kept low in various spots and the wading birds get access to an ample supply of easily obtainable food. There were so many birds it was hard to get a good shot of the group. In addition to those seen here Roseate Spoonbills, Tri-color Heron, Skimmers, and Great Blue Heron were well represented and all mixed in together.
Over the course of the three hours we watched this morning groups moved around to various areas of the pond or left, perhaps full and looking for a cooler spot to spend the rest of the day.
