White storks' annual return to a Croatian village
White storks' annual return to a Croatian village
White storks returning to a village in Croatia after wintering in Africa.
Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz
Transcript
A small village in Croatia has some welcome visitors. Every year white storks return from Africa to their roof top nests. This is a thriving colony of more than 140 birds and each nest has four or more growing chicks.
The adults bring water from a nearby pond to cool them, such open nests offer no shade from the sun.
The first chicks are almost ready to fledge and exercise their wings in readiness to fly. It's a busy time for the parent birds, flying to and fro to provide food for their young. But they've timed their nesting well. The lush meadows outside the village are now rich in worms, insects and amphibians, perfect food for young chicks.
The adults bring water from a nearby pond to cool them, such open nests offer no shade from the sun.
The first chicks are almost ready to fledge and exercise their wings in readiness to fly. It's a busy time for the parent birds, flying to and fro to provide food for their young. But they've timed their nesting well. The lush meadows outside the village are now rich in worms, insects and amphibians, perfect food for young chicks.