Wood Stork visited my backyard!

[susiep]

I had a visit from this wood stork. He let me get pretty close so I got a couple good shots with my junky camera. The video is terrible because about 4 stupid Muscovie ducks were all around my feet (they are such a pain!) plus the ground was soft and I was afraid of falling. Anyway, he was very cool!

[Nic100]

What an amazing visitor! He's a beauty!

[Connie Star]

I LOVE the shot with it's mouth open! Very, very nice. Not sure I'd call it a beauty though.......

[nutgirl]

That's the kind of thing that makes your day!

Great shots.

Maureen

[trdyl]

Cool! Nice shots.

[Triffid]

What a magnificent looking creature and beautiful shots!

Thanks for sharing!

[billc]

How neat is that! Are they common where you are in Florida?

Bill

[tuvoc]

What an awesome bird.

Kim

[susiep]

Bill, they are fairly common in the last few years. Our neighborhood is only 1.5 miles (as the stork flies) from the everglades, so many creatures consider these lakes part of their home. In my backyard along the lake I regularly get to see Osprey, Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Cattle Egret, White Ibis, Cormorant, Little Blue Heron (only once), American Coot, and others. Here is another nice shot of a Great Blue Heron in the same spot.

[Hedge]

Your Great Blue heron looks very like what we call a Grey heron on this side of the Pond (no imagination, us Brits) - I have one visit our garden to try and get fish from our pond, but it is very easily frightened and takes off long before I find the camera. Well done, your stork is lovely. What are the birds in the second shot?