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Saw a bunch of birds today that I've not see before. According to my iBird app it looks to be Wood Storks. They are really big and their wings make a racket when they take off. Only 5 sacs to report. Need to get Mrs. PS over here with her super camera.
I know this sounds weird but i saw a big group of birds that look like what google says is a wood stork on D'arbonne bayou. About 20 birds still on the roost in top of some cypress. I took a pic with my phone but they're washed out in the background, all i can see is the dark spots, the white doesn't show
It was a really neat experience. Must have been 50 birds and they were huge. The heads put me in mind of buzzards with super long beaks. Gave me the impression they would have been harder to get as close with outboard.
The info I saw said they number only in the thousands. Kinda rare. I know I've not seen them before and I've been in the Mermentau since around 1974. Could have been there and I missed them though.
I never think about pictures as my iphone is buried in a dry bag all the time. I rarely use it on the water.
This was my first time seeing them and this was just last Thursday
They must be lost. Usually not this far west.You could send a email to the local Audubon Society and let em know. They love this stuff.Quote:
Originally Posted by mermentau
I am going to have to look for them in 2 weeks. How did the water look on the river?
Our first sighting of this bird ever was at Henderson last Fall......they were mixed in with a group of about 300 other birds.....
Cool birds, don't usually se them in summer, but we have them in numbers during fall and winter...you can see them in the crawfish ponds on I49 or at Shuerburne WMA.
Went from 14 up to the first land cut. Water was looking good. Seemed clearer at the bridge, but hard to tell as the day wares on. What little bit of fish caught were tight against logs 5-6' deep. There was still a noticeable current from Nezpique and the last rains. I quite at noon with the showers getting fired up in the distance.Quote:
Originally Posted by saute86
Wood storks are starting to head back south to Central and South America and need a good healthy helping of fish to get em fattened up for the flight. They breed along the east coast in the spring. Usually don't see them during the spring migration but they come back this way in the summer/fall. They are pretty common right now especially in fields that are being drained (southwest La has a bunch right now as well as in the basin/Sherburne area. Very large birds. Have seen them on D'arbonne before, but D'arbonne also gets its share of white pelicans that can be confused at a distance. Wood storks typically circle and circle and then 'waffle' down flipping over entirely like geese will do. Cool, prehistoric looking birds. If you can find a rice/crawfish field that is being drained they will stack in there often alongside roseate spoonbills.
Yea, I saw about 200-300 of them in a crawfish field that was being drained. My wife thought they were snow geese. I said "no, but I don't know what the heck that is." Now I know. Man, you can learn all kinds of stuff on this site.
That is neat ! We've been seeing some solid brown bec crosse looking birds . They look like young bec crosse but they are solid dark brown , their long curved beaks are dark brown too . Never seen those before now either .
Bec crosse? Apologies...Not sure what that reference is... Brown with curved beak could be a glossy Ibis or maybe a cormorant, just a guess from your description.Quote:
Originally Posted by JiggerMan
Yes a bec crosse is an ibis I think . The ones over here are light brown with yellow beaks when they are young . When they get older they turn white and still have the yellow beaks .Quote:
Originally Posted by Squiggyfreud
The ones we've been seeing are dark brown , almost black with dark colored beaks .
Bec crosse means crooked beak and I'm sure you've heard of gros bec , that means big beak or nose. The spelling may not be exactly right .
Advocate article on the Wood Stork.
Charterboat captain Ed Pitre teaches kids about deep sea fishing | Outdoors | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, LA
Heard on the radio today that they have a bunch at the sherburne south farm and wildlife and fisheries is hosting a public bird watching session, Saturday I think. It said to call the Opelousas office of LDWF for more info. I've seen a few the last few years, hear there are only a few thousand in the world.
There is actually a wood stork and wading bird event tomorrow at Sherburne WMA, been held for a few years. LDWF is draining the south farm ponds and they will congregate in there. You can google the event or check on the audubon website if interested.
Brown ibis - the young white ibis are born brown and eventually molt and get their white feathers but look light brown and mottled for a few months. We do have two other species, the glossy ibis and the white-faced ibis. They are nearly indistinguishable but the white-faced has a red eye. White-faced are much more common and widespread and the glossy is less common and its range is pretty confined. South Louisiana is a world-class birdwatchers paradise especially in the next couple of months when the fields are being drained and the shorebirds start migrating back through. The tourism business is starting to capitalize on this with birdwatchers and naturalists. There are no shortage of tour boats running around in the basin and in the swamps!
edit - sorry just saw bleedingduck post on the event
The crawfish ponds are full of them by the house and yes they are hugh birds with ugly heads
Every once in a while we see a few fly over our farm. Probably headed to nearby rice field/ crawfish ponds.
Attachment 169015
Hundreds of them eating crawfish
I've seen them driving up to Toledo Bend near Bunkie in the crawfish ponds. Weren't sure what they were, thought maybe geese when I saw them passing by.