Wood Stork Chicks

Wood Storks are beautiful in flight, and from a distance. The are majestic at all times. But there is only one time in their life, a very brief window, when they can be said to be cute. Between really ugly chicks, and ungainly ugly fledglings they have a few weeks as downy juveniles when they are actually attractive…as this portrait attests. At least to my eye. Cute.

Sony DSC N1 through the eyepiece of a Zeiss Diascope 85FL spotting scope for an equivalent focal length of about 3000mm. 1/200th @ ISO 64. Programed Auto. F-stop determined by scope, probably in the F12 range.

Minimal Lr processing (just Clarity, Vibrance, and Sharpen).

From St. Augustine FL.