Wild Azalea and Wood Storks 2023-01-31

An early spring sight, and something more unusual.

[Wood Storks and Wild Azalea, OPF 2023-01-31]
Wood Storks and Wild Azalea, OPF 2023-01-31

We’re used to wild azaleas, Rhododendron canescens, blooming around now. Plenty of buds promise more flowers after this first one.

But the other sight was more unusual.

[Wild Azalea, Rhododendron canescens,]
Wild Azalea, Rhododendron canescens,

A pair of wood storks, roosting on a dead tree.

[Wood Storks, Mycteria Americana]
Wood Storks, Mycteria Americana

These Mycteria Americana seem to like this beaver pond.

[Movie: Preening Wood Storks (21M)]
Movie: Preening Wood Storks (21M)

The beavers killed that tree when they made this pond on Redeye Creek.

[Movie: Wood Storks and beaver pond (36M)]
Movie: Wood Storks and beaver pond (36M)

BP

No birds of unusual size in the next beaver pond upstream.

[Another beaver pond]
Another beaver pond

[Left]
Left

[Across]
Across

[Upstream]
Upstream

[Inland]
Inland

-jsq