The "Being In The Right Place At The Right Time Makes All The Difference!" Story

It was an ordinary day...for most people that is.  For a few others it was perhaps the most exciting day of their lives.  And why...you may ask?  Well, this past Wednesday two pair of wood storks landed on the Octoraro Lake in Southern Lancaster County.  A few people actually set out looking for a flock of juvenile little blue herons that were rumored to have been in the Octoraro Lake area.  As they arrived at the Lake they spotted the wood storks.  It was an amazing site since wood storks are seldom seen in this area.  Actually, it was only the second sighting of the birds in the county in modern history.

Wood Storks at Octoraro Lake

The last time the birds were spotted was in 1996 at Hammer Creek, near the border of Lancaster and Lebanon counties.  The prehistoric looking birds are described as black and white with a combination of an ugly-faced vulture and a tall, white-bodied egret.  Someone replied that it really is only the face a mother could love.  Lancaster County is really too cool in the summer months for wood storks who love warmer, more tropical and subtropical areas.  You usually would have to visit places like Florida, Georgia or Texas to see the bird.  They favor tropical swamps, marshes, lagoons and ponds.  The wood storks that were spotted at Octoraro Lake were young birds that had more than likely just left their nesting grounds.  Their trip to Lancaster County was more than likely an exploratory trip.  The sighting was only the second ever in the 1900s in  Lancaster County.  When the word got out, bird watchers flocked to the area to try and spot them before they may decide to take flight and leave.  Some bird watchers traveled hours to try and get a sighting of the birds.  The stork's popularity among local birders is not surprising.  It's rare birds showing up like these that make the birding hobby interesting.  I am amazed that Blaine Shahan, one of the great photographers for the Lancaster newspaper, was able to get there fast enough in order to take photos before they took flight.  What a thrill it must have been for him.  I know I would have felt special if I had been able to see such rare birds.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.