Every Fourth Stork is Polish

"Every Fourth Stork is Polish"

I have to admit something since the Mr. already spilled the beans about my love for bird. I LOVE BIRDS! It's maybe a little bit weird... but I have always loved them. Infact, the only thing that I get excited about when I think of the mammoth oleanders in my back yard is that they house a WHOLE LOT of birds... and I can hear them and see them every day. We are not real "pet" people... but we have 15 chickens which I have a place in my heart for and two cockateils that I talk to like they were my babies. Mr. Squeeker knows I love him. And Tilly is my buddy. I know. It is strange... I just can't help myself. So while some people dream of the fancy car they would drive if they had a million bucks, I dream of the aviary I would build... It is palacial.
Mi Amore knows this little fact about me. He has listened to me ramble many times. So he couldn't wait to report on the stork population in Poland... our future new home. I went to work researching the mythical creature that drops babies at on the door step. This is what I found: And I am so excited to see these beauties in my back yard.

"Each spring, Poland welcomes home roughly 25 percent of the nearly 325,000 white storks (scientific name Ciconia ciconia) that breed in Europe. When the storks return from their wintering grounds in Africa, they are attracted to tall trees or buildings where they build nests that often weigh up several tons. People sometimes attach wagon wheels to rooftops and barns or tall poles near buildings in hopes of luring the birds to nest near their homes. Today, telecommunications companies put up special poles and nest supports for the storks.

Adult white storks are about 1 m (3 ft) tall, with long red legs, a straight pointed red bill, white plumage, and black wing feathers.

Nearly 41 thousand “couples” of the 160 thousand worldwide breed in Poland, thus, “every fourth stork is Polish.” (http://poland.pl/spec/storks/facts.htm and www.bociany.pl)
Stork nests are huge: some old nests may be over 6 ft (2 m) in diameter and nearly 9 ft (3 m) in depth. They are constructed of branches and sticks and lined with twigs, grasses, sod, rags, and paper. Some nests have been in continuous use for hundreds of years . Breeding birds add to the nest each summer, with both males and females contributing to the construction.

Storks stay with one mate for the breeding season, but they do not migrate or over-winter together. If the same pair mates the next year, it is because of a strong attachment to the nesting site. The female usually lays 3–5 eggs, and both parents incubate the eggs for about one month. Young chicks are covered with white down and have black bills; their legs and bills slowly turn red as they mature.

Both parents bring food to the nest until the young fledge at 8–9 weeks of age. As the babies prepare for their first flight, they practice by jumping up from the ground floor of the nest, and then take small flights near the nest. Before the summer is over, they join their parents at the feeding grounds, which are usually near wet or marshy areas"

Is that fantastic? I can't wait to see them. Nate says they are everywhere! :)