Friday, May 2, 2008

Sky Watch Friday

Taking a small libery here - forgive me Dot and Tom. :)

SkyWatch Friday has been abducted on my blog this week and is replaced with StorkWatch Friday... only because I didn't really have a new picture of the sky this week and am opting to use some photos that are partially sky, but mostly stork (and trees) instead.


In the "Africa" section of the Jacksonville Zoo you will find an animal decidedly not from Africa - Wood Storks. They were never planned as part of the zoo, but they aren't stupid - protected trees, plenty of food and water, little access for predators... they can tell a cushy gig when they see one. And so, starting back in 1999 a small group of 7 nesting pairs made their home in the above trees. They must have told their friends, because by 2005 there were 82 pairs of nesting couples producing over 200 chicks!



They aren't the prettiest of birds, and they smell bad in large numbers (most birds do, of course), and they are noisy - especially during nesting season; but they are also endangered species, so there is nothing the zoo can do - nor that they want to do - to get rid of them. So these Florida birds in the African exhibit are just on safari, I suppose. :)

For SkyWatch Friday shots that hopefully contain more sky than mine does this week, visit Old Tom Wigly at Wiggers World.

17 comments:

Linda said...

What a storkie tree. Cute/clever post.

SandyCarlson said...

Well, call you a blog storker, then!

These are great. I'm happy to see these birds in action under such a clear sky!

Juliana RW said...

nice blue sky..

Will you visit mine Thanks

Anonymous said...

cool shots!

Please check out mine Thanks

Anne said...

Funny.... but where is the children ??? Do you have a lot ??? Because here in Norway we tell our children that this bird is coming with them... :-)

For a moment they thing this tought as ok, but after a time...

Nice weekend wishes to, you comes here from Norway.

Kyanite said...

Well, I for one enjoyed the different take.

Anonymous said...

Not only these are great and amazing photos of storks, but I also liked seeing your sense of humour when doing that red cross on SKY!

Anonymous said...

Well. Good for the Wood Storks. They hit the ball out of the park with being an endangered species and all and now they got a home, like it or not. I love that.

FO - 2 said...

I think that they makes a good Sky - OOOPS! ;), i mean Stork watch Friady....! ;)))

Ida

Tom said...

I for one have enjoyed my StorkWatch Friday... thanks for showing these today... perfect.

Tom

Petunia said...

LOL! Great stork watch! It is a bit crazy that these big birds build nest in the top of the threes isn't it???
Have a nice weekend, Alan:)

♥ Denise BC ♥ said...

Fantastic, great shot!!!

Daniel J Santos said...

Great images, well done.

Lilli & Nevada said...

Oh wow that is a neat set of shots of storks like how you changed the sky too LOL

dot said...

Nice post and I don't think you have broken any rules here. lol

AVCr8teur said...

These storks live at the zoo, but aren't in cages? If storks deliver human babies, how do stork babies get delivered? Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Angie said...

A very interesting post and great photos.