Painted Stork

I Have not posted for about two weeks now on this blog since I was occupied with updating my travel stories on Lush Green .
Will start from earnest again; These photographs of Painted Storks ( Mycteria leucocephala) were clicked at Rangantittu in February.
The birds were nesting and from a distance it seemed like the tree was cluttered with orange bulbs and only on a closer look could one savor the full beauty of this majestic bird. These birds are found in colonies and 10-20 of them may share a tree. These birds also share space with other storks, ibises,pelicans, egrets and cormorants. If not hunting for fish, frogs or snake they spend the day standing hunched up unless during nesting time, when it is busy collecting leaves and straws to build a nest, which look like a platform with a depression.
The bird in the 3rd photograph is collecting leaves for its nest and in the first photograph the birds are standing besides their nest, most of them had hatched chicks and were busy feeding them.
Camera: Sony A350, 200mm lens, ISO 100 , f/5.6 ( aperture priority + spot metering)

Asian Open Bill Stork

Photographed these birds at Ranganthittu. If you observe closely you will notice that the beak is slightly open when the beak is closed, hence the name. Like other storks, this bird too flies with its neck stretched, like you can see in this Image. These were nesting birds and many nests had just hatched chicks in them.The bird feeds on mollusc's frogs and insects.