Building For Babies 2

by Lydia Holly

Title

Building For Babies 2

Artist

Lydia Holly

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

This wood stork is in flight for an important reason! He's in the process of building a nest for the babies that are coming. I took this photograph at The Alligator Farm Zoological Park in St. Augustine, Florida. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
"Storks build a rather bulky nest of twigs that are simply laid in the forks of trees or on a branch of a tree. Nest height above the water varies from 3- to 50- feet. Nests generally are 20- to 25-inches in diameter and 6- to 10-inches high. The foundation material usually is made up of larger dead sticks (up to 2- inches thick) while the upper surface of the nest contains smaller (1/16- to 1/8-inch thick), more pliable twigs. While most of the nest is rather porous, the interior surface or cup region is lined with live vegetation made up of leaves and pliable branchlets. This nest greenery lines the cup region to prevent the eggs from slipping down into the spaces between the large twigs and further insulates the eggs in the rather porous nest. Finally, the habit of storks to defecate over the edge of the nest deposits a layer of guano around the edge of the nest, which dries to form an almost adobe material. It also provides some strengthening and rigidity to the lattice, or framework of twigs."

I highly recommend a visit to the Alligator Farm! When you visit during the spring months you will see many native herons, egrets, ibis, spoonbills and wood storks that come to roost and raise their young. They build their nests in the oak trees that are in the midst of the Alligator Swamp and thereby are protected from tree-climbing predators that would want to attack the young or eat the eggs. The wooden walkway allows for amazing close up views of Florida"s magnificent wading birds on their nests. The website boasts that " Photographers achieve award-winning shots here every year. From March through June you will see the most nesting activity with the birds in full breeding plumage."

Uploaded

January 28th, 2015

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