I'm not prone to waxing rhapsodic about birds, so this probably sounds strange, but I've found that one of the coolest things here are the storks. In the Alsace they are considered to bring good luck (not babies--this isn't some sort of hidden message!) and are something of a regional symbol--as you drive around you'll see these enormous nests on top of churches, chimneys, etc. (this is a nest we saw on top of a church in Eguisheim):



Anyway, they sometimes come over to Basel and eat in the field near our house, and I don't know that I've ever seen a more elegant, graceful bird. They have these enormous wingspans and just glide around so effortlessly--I've seen bald eagles in the wild, but I think I may actually find the storks more impressive. Who knew?