Yesterday I got a surprise when I looked out front to check and see if the trash had been picked up yet. It had. But as I headed out to put the trash can away I discovered a visitor on the lawn. Funny that he was there because lately I’ve been lamenting to myself that I can’t just sit out in the back yard and have photo ops come to me any more. And birds have been scarce in general, even in places that I thought you would always find them. It was a young wood stork, smaller than most of the ones I’ve seen.
Of course I grabbed the camera and went out the door for pictures. This didn’t seem to bother him a lot, he stood his ground and I sat on my stoop and started shooting. Personally, I think he liked the photo shoot. He certainly turned this way and that, maybe he was deciding which was his best side. He also was approaching me, making me suspect that someone has been feeding him. I understand the urge to do that, and I even had frozen corn and peas which I’ve read is what you are supposed to feed ducks, if you can’t resist feeding them. But I did resist. Eventually I’d taken so many pictures, and I wondered what mission he’d been on when I interrupted him, so I went inside. I couldn’t resist checking to see what he was doing though, but I didn’t have to look hard because he was right outside my front door, looking in. I hope his interest in people doesn’t cause him problems, but on the other hand I hope I see him again.
A Snowbird's Life Through the Lens 