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Storks at Sunrise
A group of storks was feeding just before and after sunrise at Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. The park is the only place I’ve seen them and offers excellent viewing opportunities, I was able to stand and watch them at close range from the causeway on several of my visits.
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Old and Young
On the left, an adult stork feeds shortly before sunrise. On the right, a young stork works the edge of a freshwater marsh. The young bird has feathers on the top of its head and neck but will lose them with age. Even at this young age, though, the bill and face make it unmistakably a stork.
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Head Down in the Muck
While watching the predators work this section of the marsh, I couldn't help but think about how miserable I'd be in those conditions, barely able to move, miserable, and soaked to the bone. Birds like the wood stork are in their element here however, with their long beaks able to probe the depths of the marsh while still able to keep an eye out for trouble on the surface, and their long legs keeping their feathers dry (and therefore clean and lightweight).
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Not On Speaking Terms
This stork pair was actually getting along just fine, they were busy preening and I had to wait a while until they had their heads posed in a similar fashion to establish the symmetry I was looking for. I got a picture of their heads turned towards each other, but I think the facing away picture is more interesting.
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Three's a Crowd
A snowy egret, a wood stork, and a young alligator all hunt in the same space in the freshwater marsh. There was also a great egret, another wood stork, and several young alligators just off camera. It's no wonder the fiddler and blue crabs were so nervous. It's also fun to see how three creatures who evolved in different ways can each be a successful predator in this environment. You can also get a feel for how small the snowy egret is relative to the larger birds like the wood stork, great blue heron, or great egret.
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