It’s a peculiar bird the Pelican,
Its beak can hold more than its belly can.
I don’t know a rhyme about a Stork but it too is a peculiar bird.
Firstly it’s a very large bird - standing at least waist height, with a large wingspan and very large beak.
It can fly but the peculiar thing about it, is that it nests in the most extreme, exposed places - at the top of buildings, next to bells, on telegraph poles, power lines (if not prevented from doing so by guards) and on specially contructed perches.
It nests singly or will form a sort of rookery (storkery?) if there’s enough perches available and it doesn’t appear to mind humans. This is probably because it’s clear that we pose no threat, as climbing bell towers on the outside or telegraph poles isn’t a common activity (unless you are Alain Robert)
In Extramadura, Storks are so common that even for the tourist they almost become a normal sight.
They are graceful in flight and seem to fly great distances to bring food for their young - judging by the time between flying off and returning - although that could also be because they have to find the food too.
If you have any memories of feeding the ducks then you will know how a duck makes its landing. It comes down towards the water on a low angle descent, out comes the undercarriage and it then touches the water, skidding along the surface until eventually stopping.
A Stork on the otherhand, doesn’t have the luxury of the aircraft carrier deck to aim for. It needs to make a pinpoint stop on top of the tower, which is covered by the nest anyway. So it flies horizontally but on final approach it turns downwards and then arcs back up into a perfect stall so that it has lost all speed just as it touches the nest and it simply holds on. Landed!
Its beak can hold more than its belly can.
I don’t know a rhyme about a Stork but it too is a peculiar bird.
Firstly it’s a very large bird - standing at least waist height, with a large wingspan and very large beak.
It can fly but the peculiar thing about it, is that it nests in the most extreme, exposed places - at the top of buildings, next to bells, on telegraph poles, power lines (if not prevented from doing so by guards) and on specially contructed perches.
In Extramadura, Storks are so common that even for the tourist they almost become a normal sight.
They are graceful in flight and seem to fly great distances to bring food for their young - judging by the time between flying off and returning - although that could also be because they have to find the food too.
A Stork on the otherhand, doesn’t have the luxury of the aircraft carrier deck to aim for. It needs to make a pinpoint stop on top of the tower, which is covered by the nest anyway. So it flies horizontally but on final approach it turns downwards and then arcs back up into a perfect stall so that it has lost all speed just as it touches the nest and it simply holds on. Landed!
Comments
Mum - are you leaning out the landy to get a better view? Or are you demonstrating a version of chicken!!?!
Last Night The Stork Came Calling
Last night the stork came calling
And there beneath its wing.
Lay sleeping oh so sweetly
The tiniest little thing.
From babyland so far away
Beside a silver sea,
Was brought a special treasure
As a gift to you and me.
The farmer and the stork (a nursery rhyme)
A Farmer placed his nets on his newly sown plough lands, and caught a quantity of Cranes, which came to pick up his seed. With them he trapped a Stork also. The Stork, having his leg fractured by the net, and was earnestly besought the Farmer to spare his life. Pray, save me, Master, he said, and let me go free this once. My broken limb should excite your pity. Besides, I am no Crane, I am a Stork, a bird of excellent character; and see how I love and slave for my father and mother. Look too, at my feathers, they are not the least like those of a Crane.
The Farmer laughed aloud, and said: "It may be all as you say; I only know this, I have taken you with these robbers, the Cranes, and you must die in their company."
Moral: Birds of a feather flock together.
By Aesop