Small Fish For Big Bird
This afternoon we watched a couple of wood storks feeding in the salt marsh during low tide. A fish this size might not look like much for a large stork, but if Woody eats enough of them he will be full and happy!
-
Follow
Following
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
Phil Lanoue Photography 
Great photo but I’m thinking he doesn’t really like the snack size any better than me!
Well he was knocking those little fish back like they were popcorn. I suspect he figured that if all he was going to get for the day was a snack, he better try to eat a bunch!
Perfect timing. I gotta believe that it takes a lot of those little fish to satisfy him.
I am always amazed to see these very large birds eat such tiny food. They often eat things so small I don’t even see what it was. But I guess they must know what they are doing out there.
Thanks for looking Mike!
It reminds me a bit of Lyle Krahn’s photos of a bear gorging on dandelions. It doesn’t seem like much, but, as you noted, they somehow manage.
Lyle does get outstanding photos of those bears, and I know I would be thrilled if I saw one eating anything. 🙂
He’ll have to catch a few more if those to make a meal. Lol
He was at it for quite a while so I have to figure he finally ate enough to fill himself up. He looked fairly satisfied by the time he left. (well…as best as I could tell anyway) 🙂
How many hours a day do you spend waiting on such wonderful shots!
I was out there for a couple of hours today. But not all of it spent watching the wood storks, there was also a variety of egrets, herons, and anhingas out there along with the standard alligators. 🙂
Great close-up, Phil. I love these guys but never had a chance to study their faces. Interesting!
Well they kind of have a face only a mother could love but they are interesting birds.
Thanks for checking these out Jane!
Haha–so true, Phil. You really capture the details.
And oh boy, does this bird ever have detail! 🙂
Incredible capture and clarity, Phil! How much is enough 🙂
Thanks much Amy, so glad you liked seeing our pal Woody!
That’s a very small snack. Hardly bite size. Nice timing, Phil.
He spent a couple hours with his friend eating tons of fish that size and a little bigger. I bet they were nice and full by the time they were done.
Thanks much for looking Andrew!
This is one of the best portraits of a wood stork I’ve seen. They aren’t handsome birds (by human standards), but very watchable. Thanks!
Thanks a million Lee, glad to know you liked seeing old Woody! They are indeed a bit rough to look at but fun and interesting anyway. 🙂
Excellent image Phil.
Thanks Edith, I appreciate that!
Nice photo! I’m glad to see them back and active, hopefully they will bring their pink friends next time 🙂
Thanks for checking this out! So far just the intermittent wood storks but no pink friends yet. Could be any day now or could be a couple weeks off since everything seems late this year.
I still can’t get over their prehistoric look, but the detail you caught of that neck is astounding!
They really do have a prehistoric look to them and I suppose that’s one thing I like about them. They also have one of the fastest, if not *the* fastest, jaw bite reaction time of all vertebrates.
That is one tiny fish. I am amazed you got that shot. Beautiful work.
I just have to keep my attention on these guys to get a shot like that. It can be tough because they are super fast. Deceptively fast!
WOW! Brilliant moment!
Thanks very much for looking and commenting, I appreciate it!
Forse sperava di catturarne uno più grande 🙂
Splendido scatto Phil.
Ciao, Pat
Grazie Pat! So glad you liked this wood stork photo!
Now that is definitely the crumbs at the bottom of the snack bag! Love these wood storks. I think they are pretty in their own way.
I am continually surprised that for being very large birds they will go after tiny food. I have seen them grab and eat huge fish but if they eat a ton of these small ones, they get ice and full. 🙂
Fantastic shot!
Hey thanks a bunch, I appreciate that!
😆 What a tiny morsel! I think he won’t even know that he’s had anything to eat. 😦 Great shot, Phil.
At the rate he was knocking back fish after fish it probably doesn’t register that he has eaten until his wood stork brain gets the message that the belly is full now. 🙂
He’ll need a lot of those to fill him up!
He will need a lot of those little fish but he got a ton of them and even bigger ones. I saw him eat fish after fish for quite a while.. 🙂