German village relieved as unruly stork heads south

BERLIN (AP) - A German village is enjoying its peace after an unruly guest took off: Ronny the stork, who spent the summer pecking at windows and cars as he attacked his own reflection.

Ronny's persistent pecking in Glambeck, north of Berlin, brought him minor celebrity status after he landed in early May.

The locals weren't amused. They ended up closing their doors and windows, and leaving cars in the garage to protect them from further scratches.

News agency dpa reported that Mayor Hilde Peltzer-Blase said Thursday Ronny took one last look around last week and then left, joining the birds' annual southward migration.

She said camera teams crowding the village for a glimpse of the stork caused even more commotion than the bird itself - "we're happy finally to have peace again."