Saaremaa Black Storks Vol. 2
The story of getting the backpack
Text and photos by Urmas Sellis
Translation by Scott Diel
The black storks have acquired the fashion accessory of backpacks from America. In addition to the backpackers you already know, another nameless black stork from Saaremaa got the tiny gadget. Here the islander is still without his backpack, but he is already turning his attention to the pond and our sump full of crucian (Carassius auratus).
It's just a few meters to our trap, but the sump's fine netting moves in the wind and makes the stork suspicious—so passes a full half hour, the stork removing fish with his long neck and beak. Twenty meters away in his blind sits the backpack importer who is getting impatient—is the stork really going to get away with all the fish and not have to take the backpack? It begins to rain.
His appetite for fish is strong and the islander decides to step closer. He finally steps into the sump and begins to look for fish. The net flies over the islander. Soon Eagleman Veljo arrives and the backpack ceremony may begin.
Two hours later the islander struts proudly away wearing his new American backpack. It begins to rain heavily.
The islander stretches his wings and disappears into the forest. A half kilometer away he lands on the branch of a large pine. He admires his new fashion accessory. Since the backpack importer had forgotten his scales, he was unable to do the genetic analysis and we can't say for sure whether the islander is a male or female stork. The length of the beak suggests female, but the rather strong disposition might indicate the opposite. Of course, island ladies are quite strong…
