Friday 30 March 2012

Can't tell me Stork from mutter!

We were having last years bonfire today... along with this years. Great fun, huge heat.... especially on a hot March day.
But as we were taking a well earned drinks break, I pointed out to Pauline a huge bird circling overhead... a lone Black Stork [Ciconia nigra] Cigogne noire... it was probably using the heat from the bonfire to add lift to those huge wings.

The camera chose to focus on the moon... but who cares... beats a vampire any day!
Here the stork is in focus.
Right overhead...
The sunlight gives it an almost "plasticy" look.

6 comments:

Pollygarter said...

Amazing pictures Tim!

Susan said...

Woweeee! You lucky lucky things! and you know from a previous correspondence I forwarded to you just how rare these are in France - fewer than 200 birds.

Tim said...

We have seen them quite regularly around here... they are believed to nid in the Preuilly/Loches woods at Charnizay... that is the only place we've seen two at the same time.
They are also in the book as being possible nesters in Barrou, which includes a large hunk of the big Grand Pressigny woods... and that is the direction this one was headed.

About Paris said...

Great Photographs - love the one with the moon!

Niall & Antoinette said...

WOW!!and WOW!! Lovely shot of the stork right overhead. Birds are putting on a show for us all aren't they :-)

Colin and Elizabeth said...

Yes, we agree with Jim and Pauline - the shot with the moon is gorgeous!