Peggy C's photos with the keyword: Wood Stork

''Youth has no age.'' - Pablo Picasso Taken in Central Florida .. teenage gal seems to be instructing the Wood Stork to wait his turn ... (c) All Rights Reserved en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Dolittle

Wood Stork on a hot summer day .... Length - 33.5–45.3 in 85–115 cm Wingspan - 59.1–68.9 in 150–175 cm Weight - 72.3–93.1 oz 2050–2640 g Other Names - Wood Ibis Tantale d'Amérique (French) Cigüeña americana (Spanish) www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wood_Stork/lifehistory (c) All Rights Reserved

- chaotic Cormorant convention - watched - by a statue-like - Wood Stork - with sun and shadows - falling upon his feathers SOOC [cropped for size] © All rights reserved

.. at first glance this looked as though this Wood Stork was sitting on the bench .. but, maybe just using it for balance as he leans over to forage .. a juvenile - still has feathers on his head .. the Wood Storks had a lot of youngsters this year ! edited in: www.picmonkey.com © All Rights Reserved

.. taken on Vivid setting of Canon PowerShot SX40 HS .. feet appear more intense a color than usual .. but those long legs are real .. wonder how much ground he can cover with such deternination .. with an almost 5 foot wing span .. wet feathers must be heavy * for dPS weekly Challenge cropped/framed/signed in: www.picmonkey.com © All rights reserved MEMORIES OF BIRD WATCHING IN FLORIDA

- circular portrait - Wood Stork at the lake - it was hot, so they were seeking shade - don't think he moved - perhaps a feather or two did - but think he took a 'stork nap' edited using: www.dumper.net www.picmonkey.com © All rights reserved

many of these are familiar to me .. Cormorant Anhinga Wood stork Roseate Spoonbill but - left bottom corner - any idea ? this is as clear a shot as was taken .. have checked them all .. edited in: www.picmonkey.com © All Rights Reserved - 1 note -

several shooters taking advantage of a nice day (before the rains are to come) .. waterfowl all over .. still ID-ing some of them! -no cropping © All rights reserved

two waterbirds looking for dinner .. a Great Blue in the marshy grasses .. on shore, a Wood Stork .. all waterbirds in Florida are protected .. the Wood Stork (from pages read on the internet) seems to be quite low in numbers .. but, there are many, many of them here .. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- - From SouthWest Florida Water Management District (SwiftMud) "The wood stork is a large, long-legged wading bird that is white with a gray-black featherless head. It is listed as an endangered species by government agencies. This is because disruptions and loss of wetland areas important to its feeding and breeding have reduced the number of stork in Florida. Because of its distinctive black, featherless head, the wood stork is sometimes called "ironhead." The wood stork's tail and the tips of its wings also are black. These birds use their large bills to search shallow waters and wetlands for fish. They do this by holding their bills open and sweeping them from side to side as they walk through the water. The moment the bird feels the fish against its beak, it grabs and swallows it. In fact, the closing of a wood stork's beak is considered one of the fastest movements in the animal kingdom! Nesting is timed with the cycle of the wetlands. During the drier months, larger wetland areas dry up and become smaller wet areas. The fish that once swam throughout the larger wetland areas become concentrated and trapped in these smaller areas. The wood storks take advantage of this "concentration" to feast on the trapped fish and carry back food to their young at the nest. A pair of wood storks need about 440 lbs. of fish in one breeding season to feed themselves and their young! In times of drought, wood storks often fail to breed or raise young." -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --- -- -- -- -- --- -- -- -- ---- -- -- ---- - SOOC © All rights reserved