IBIS
Some birds are distinguished by their wing span or feather pattern or again, their size. I could go on and on. What strikes me about the Ibis – apart from their curved bill – are those startling icy blue eyes.
In our region, we have white Ibis primarily but there are many species including the black Ibis which I’ve spotted now and again. The beautiful scarlet Ibis can be found in South America and Trinidad and I fervently hope to see them one day.
Mornings skies at places like Ding Darling can be a mass of Ibis flocks coming from the roost to fish and hang out with their feathered buddies in bushes or sand/mud flats.
What I notice over and over is that when evening comes, the Ibis seem to be one of the first flocks to go to roost. Their companions, the Spoonbills; Herons and Pelicans tend to follow a little later. From what I’ve observed, the Great Egrets are the last to leave the party and can still be seen at dusk idling by the waterways. Party animals!!! My hope is that we can all be like these serene creatures and not give up too soon. Carpe diem (Live/take the day) and enjoy and give the beauty to others. I’d love to hear from others about their observations on this phenomenon.
In summer, Ibis will dot the lawns like cotton balls in search of insects that come to the surface after the heavy rains. Someday, I hope to have my camera at hand when a flock will perch on the neighbor’s tall Norfolk Pine tree, arranging themselves to look like ornaments on a Christmas tree. click here for an Ibis gallery