immature wood stork

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By darkened sky

The wood stork had flown out of sight.
My friend and I had begun to photograph an assortment of egrets.
The sky darkened and we both looked up.
There above us was the immature wood stork
magnificent with translucent chevrons in his wings.

Wood Stork

By immature wood stork

I was at the Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge on Monday.
As often happens there, I get to photograph birds I have not seen before.
This is an immature Wood Stork.
He has wandered north out of the normal wood stork Atlantic coast range.
His bulk is greater than that of the great blue heron, but he is shorter and has less of a wingspan than the heron.

Wood Stork 1