Black Stork – East Allington, Devon, 17^th April 1988

So, the day after the Rock Thrush at Portland Bill, Sunday the 17th April 1988, I seemingly returned there, but having established that it hadn’t been co-operative that morning, decided to cut my losses and drive from Portland to East Allington in South Devon.

There’d been a Black Stork around since the 13th April, and so now was the time to see it. This proved to be an inspired decision.

The bird was the Black Stork that just was. It was a mega-bird, which was seen both alight and in flight.

On arrival I discovered the location involved a typical, deep, wooded Devon valley. On one side of it there was a narrow lane flanked by Devon banks, and from where I stopped here I could see across the valley, or at least I could once I had managed to park.

The object of my quest was perched high in the bare branches of a tree.

It was a stork with mainly black plumage which had a purple or green iridescence and white under-parts. It also had a large heavy pink bill, and long pale pink legs.

I watched it through the ‘scope as it rested in the tree and then, marvellously, it took off and circled up into the low cloud. Wow!!!!

Black Stork, East Allington, Devon, April 1988, (photograph courtesy of Rob Chittenden)