Another bird that has shown up lately. Wood Storks.

This is a subtropical and tropical species which breeds in much of South America, Central America and the Caribbean. The wood stork is the only stork that breeds in North America. In the United States there are small breeding populations in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. (Wikipedia)

There is a fairly big rookery not far from here, however it’s inaccessible being on private land. The owners keep it closed and for Storks that’s great. They like to have plenty of private space for nesting.

Places like the ACE Basin and Harris Neck (Georgia) have helped these birds population so much they are no longer considered endangered.

Some people might disagree, but I think they are not all that bad looking.

Wood Stork.

Here I was walking out from the trail, along the top of a dike. Below were groups of Storks. I hoped to get a few ‘group’ shots, but one was not having it.

This Stork walked up to my spot, then slowly moved past. No hurry, just a leisurely stroll.

This Stork helped, I got the shots I wanted without walking the full dike. The dikes sides, even where I couldn’t see, were lined with Alligators since the water was so low. No need to scare the gators into the water by walking past.

Donnelley WMA, South Carolina.