wildatlanticwayphotography.com

wildatlanticwayphotography.com
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Wednesday, February 13, 2013

I would never have quessed...............

While out for our evening walk the Dogs and I were puzzled by some white birds in the paddocks with the horses - they were far to big for the chickens or geese that normally see wondering around.
Well we ran back to get a longer lens on the camera and resumed our walk and this is what we found
when we got back.
  
 
 
 
A flock of over twenty White Storks on their migration back up to Northern Europe from their wintering grounds in central or southern Africa, although I think it is a little bit early but have not seen them going this way before only high in the sky when they were going south in late August and September so am only guessing they are early.
 
 

 
Storks are very nervous birds when traveling in flocks and would move away as soon as we approached, at one point they were very close to the little small holding at the end of the lane as you can see here.
 
 
 
They are graceful flayers and do so with their long neck extended.
 


 
I did not see the Hare running in the background having been spooked by them - you can just see the very out of focus object in the centre of the frame.
 
They feed on the same things that our Herons eat, worms, frogs etc. so I was not at all surprised to see one or two amongst them but I was amazed at how much larger the Storks are than a fully grown Heron...........
 
  
Not the best shot but you can see how small the Grey Heron looks in the foreground compared to the Stork several feet behind. Sue refers to Herons a Pterodactyl's so am unsure what see would think of these at close quarters.
 

 
It was very strange when the two spooked each other and took off at the same time.
 
 
I like this shot showing the pattern along the wings.
 
I am sorry the shots are not a sharp as I would like but it was getting late and very hazy but I hope you like them. 
 
Finally a few other shots of the things we also glimpsed along the way.
 
 



These two live at the small holding the flock visited and normally are happy to have a chat as we pass by..............