We had very high wind gusts and rain last night, so we were worried that some of the nests would be blown down when we arrived, as we saw that on a couple occasions last season. Thankfully, it did not appear that any nests were affected.

Today we were able to get our first good looks at the tops of the hatchlings' heads and beaks as the parents would come in to feed them. We were able to see chicks in 7 nests, and heard chicks in many others. The storks have also moved to a fifth tree now (Tree E) - another small Laurel Oak next to the main two trees in the colony.

Today's count:

• Tree A: 49 Nests
• Tree B: 49 Nests
• Tree C: 5 Nests
• Tree D: 2 Nests
• Tree E: 1 Nest

Finally! The two-week old hatchlings make an appearance! In this photo, you can see the underside of the chick's beak and throat as the parent tends to it. There are 2 hatchlings in this nest (Tree A)

An adult standing on its nest (Tree A).

This stork is just coming in for a landing.

This wood stork is tending to her chick, which is just to the left of her bill. This nest is at eye level from the boardwalk, about 10 feet away from the rail (Tree B).

Another view of the same nest previously pictured.

Here are the 2 nests (center) the storks were building last week, pictured in the 2nd photo from last week's gallery. Amazing how quickly they build a complete nest.

Return to Main Wood Stork page