Getting Some Me time...

[David Roach]

EOS R6 RF 70-200 @200 f2.8 1/4000 ISO 400 HH, Manual EXP, cropped from horizontal to pano

Unlike the GBHs, you can not tell the gender of wood storks by behavior. They are identical but the male is bigger. They share every aspect of nesting pretty much equally. I was at the wetlands for two hours this evening. The entire time Mom sat on eggs and occasionally turned them gently in the nest. Also, she continued to ward off others in the colony who might want the same real estate. Dad flew in with small leafy twigs for final lining on the nest. As the sun just hung on the horizon and was beginning to sink, Dad flew in without a branch and nudged her gently. She got the message let Dad sit on the eggs and finally flew off for some "me time".

[Paul Burdett]

David: I like this very much, although I wish you were closer. Excellent flight pose and lovely foreground to compliment the bird/sky. Whites on the bird's neck look a little hot to me. TFS

[Ilija Dukovski]

The bird is very interesting. I think a tighter crop could work here. Very nice flight pose.