As I noted earlier I was really looking forward to see the avocets at Malheur, but I wasn’t about to ignore the White-Faced Ibis once I saw them. I’d never seen them before sighting them flying over at Malheur two years ago, though I confused them with cormorants. Silly me, the silhouette as unmistakable as it is striking.
I’ve never seen another bird in the Pacific Northwest that looks anything like this
.
Somehow it seems fitting that I also saw them here for the first time in full-breeding colors,
though my camera seems incapable of capturing their true iridescence.
We did see them as they started to change colors in California this Spring, and Leslie got the best shot of them up to that point. However , I think this bird is even more magnificent than the one she shot.
It was so beautiful that a set up my tripod and 500mm lens with extender to take shots of it for nearly a half hour, shooting it from multiple angles as it contentedly fed.
Once again amazing images. Never have I seen this type of ibis. Splendous.
“Splendous.” Can’t imagine a greater compliment.
What magnificent creatures. I haven’t seen them like this. Absolutely ibisdescent!
Yes, quite the transformation. I was almost awestruck when I encountered this last one alone in a small wetlands.
Very beautiful!
Loren, these are absolutely gorgeous shots. You’ve captured the bird’s personality as well as its beauty, and shown me a species I’ve never seen before. Thanks.
Thanks, Beth.
My goal is to make everyone love nature as much as I do.