It Only Took Me 91 Years to Get This Shot!
So my title might be a bit misleading. It wasn’t that it took me 91 years – I’m not THAT old! – it’s that it took that long for anyone in Colorado to get it. By “it”, I mean a photograph of a specific bird species, the Wood Stork, not seen here in the state since 1934. Sure, you can go down to the Gulf any time of the year and chances are you’ll see one (although I haven’t in several trips down there). But they don’t migrate anywhere so why was it here in Colorado? And why this year in particular (Spoiler alert: there are no known answers to either question)?
The bird world was all atwitter here when a Wood Stork was reported in mid-August in a lake in Denver of all places. Doubts were raised and indeed it was gone as quickly as it was seen. But it then allegedly resurfaced in an even more unusual location, a small pond in a northern suburb of Denver. And this time observations grew daily.
Friend and shooting partner Shelley texted me one day to see if I was interested in going with her to photograph it. Tempted as I was, the weather was extremely hot, and I had a big art festival coming up that week so I begged off. But it kept nagging at me that I could be missing out on an opportunity of a lifetime and I might (make that wouldn’t) be around in 91 more years so a couple days after the festival ended and coincidentally the temperature dropped enough, we trekked on our dangerous journey up I-25 to the wide open isolated spaces of Broomfield County armed with only a GPS to guide us into the wild. Yes, such are the exaggerated dangers of an urban expedition!
We really didn’t need to find the bird; we simply found the gaggle of photographers and birders all jockeying for an impossible angle to view the bird while it perched on a log, safely obscured from any good line of sight by us. (As always, photos below are best enjoyed at fuller screen by clicking on them)
Above - Mediocre shot of what we first saw, the Wood Stork perched on a log while partially obscured from everyone’s vision
Sensing a looooong period of inaction, we implemented our favorite strategy, first devised by the NHL great Wayne Gretzky: go to where the bird will be, not where it is. He may have been talking about a puck but you get the idea. So we headed to the opposite end of the pond knowing that if it flew there, we’d have a completely unobstructed view – and all to ourselves! Fortunately, other birds abounded in that pond so fun photo opps unfolded throughout.
Above - This scene was magical as a Snowy Egret, Wood Stork and Great Blue Heron shared shelter from the rain on the shore
Almost two hours and waves of self-doubt later, our patience paid off. The advantage of when the bird comes to you is that it is doing that willingly. It knows you’re there but it has determined you are not a threat, meaning you can get photos you normally wouldn’t otherwise. At one point with the bird within near-touching distance and our mouths agape I was thinking, “I can’t believe this. I’m getting a private modeling session from a very rare bird so don’t blow it!”
Above - The Wood Stork walked right in front of us with a clear view of its reflection in the water
Above - Almost within touching distance the Wood Stork began to pop little snacks into its mouth
Above - The Wood Stork gets even closer in the water
Above - “I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille”
Above - You can see the significant wingspan of the Wood Stork here
Eventually the stork flew to another corner of the pond where hopefully someone else duplicated our strategy and was equally rewarded as we were.
The Wood Stork lingered for a couple weeks more there. I never felt the need to return. That day was special and could only be replicated at best, not topped. And now the bird has disappeared, hopefully back to where it should be, taking with it the unsolved mystery of how and why it came to be here in the first place.
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