Florida Top Ten Photos: #5

The Wood Stork is the dinosaur of birds. It's head truly gives it an ancient look (which my wife Lisa thinks is ugly :). The white of the Wood Stork is quite brilliant and contrasts beautifully with the jet black of the flight feathers. My favorite part of watching the wood storks was seeing a peculiar feeding habit they would use. While standing in shallow water, a stork would hold one wing out to the side, creating a shadow on the ground. At the same time it would use its opposite side foot to "tap" the ground/mud, raising it up and down. Presumably, the foot would stir up prey which might head for the shadows created by the wing? At one time I was close enough to hear the hollow "clop" of the storks bill shutting. Apparently, they keep their bill submerged until prey touch it, when they close it at an incredibly quick rate.

We were a little early for the Storks to be nesting, but I suspect by this time in late February/early March they are in the thick of things. One of the best places to see them  nest most years is Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary .