The first time I saw a Wood Stork was about 10 years ago. We were driving on a side road, in South Carolina, and spotted one near a ditch.
To get a photograph we quickly stopped the car and hid behind trees for a very long shot, my lens was out to its furtherest distance. It was a great find. They were a bird on the endangered list and rare here.
Now fast forward…
Wood Storks are one of the few conservation success stories. Not sure there will be many more. 🥹
Great news! I particularly like the muster-of-storks shot 😊
The good news for them here is minimal federal money is involved. There is a lot of state money, and this is the US south so not one of the most ‘enlightened’ of places. However for now the large amount of land they need is protected.
What I also like about some of these shots is the fact they have gathered with the Great Egrets. Egrets have many more rookeries so Storks may follow to the other places.
A win-win!