Two of a Kind
There are actually three kinds of Ibis in the United States; but only two are found in Florida, the White Ibis and the Glossy Ibis. The third is the White-faced Ibis which is the western U.S. replacement for the Glossy Ibis.
The White Ibis was fairly common and in abundance around our stay in Okeechobee, and I’ve already shared a few photos of them. We actually had one foraging in the empty campsite just behind ours. He gave me a fine pose!
White Ibis
You really could find the White Ibis just about anywhere. I came out of the grocery store and whipped out my cell phone for this next ‘poor’ shot.
White Ibis in strip mall parking lot
It was also common to see flocks of White Ibis.
White Ibis
I liked the little fella in the next shot soaring with the White Ibis!
White Ibis and bird friend
Out for a drive around one of Lake Okeechobee’s boat ramps, there was a large flock of White Ibis foraging in the grassy sand areas. There were quite a few juveniles in this group. The juveniles are not born white but eventually turn all white with black wing-tips when they reach adulthood.
Juvenile White Ibis
While watching and taking photos of them, I sighted one with a snake or marine worm. The snake/worm was still alive and squirming while the Juvenile White Ibis tried to figure out what to do with this fiesty snack.
Juvenile White Ibis
The snake/worm decided to take a chance and go for the juvenile’s face.
Juvenile White Ibis
The snake/worm’s head literally went to the juvenile’s beak and hit it. What a pretty strong snake/worm!
Juvenile White Ibis
My final shot of the series shows the juvenile had quickly dropped the snake/worm and was giving it a once-over. We never did see him pick it back up, he just kept looking at it and pondering.
Juvenile White Ibis
The second Ibis was a new lifer for me, and I had quickly mentioned it in my Roseate Spoonbill post where a Glossy Ibis was in the background of a few of my Spoonbill captures. At such a distance, I never got lucky on a full profile of one, just heads and tails.
Lo and behold, it was in the campground in the Preserve area where I saw a small flock fly in to feed a late afternoon and luckily several more late afternoons. With their darkness and desire to stay hidden, I wasn’t so lucky in getting many shots while they were on the ground at their distance, but I did have fun with the challenge of their flight.
Glossy Ibis
Male Glossy Ibis in breeding plumage
Glossy Ibis in flight at sunset
Glossy Ibis on a cloudy late afternoon
Glossy Ibis
Glossy Ibis
What luck I felt to get both the White Ibis and Glossy Ibis while in Florida, with one being a new lifer!
Wonderful pictures of these birds, especially the flight shots!
Thanks so much! 🙂
beautiful shots!
Thanks so much, Jodi!
What a treat to see, excellent shots!
Thanks, Belinda! Not even knowing there was a Glossy Ibis, they were extra special for me. 🙂
Both would be lifers for me! We have the White faced which I don’t get cause it’s pink or red…perhaps because I only see it in winter. What a lovely silhouette flight shot! I would love to see Ibis in my markets parking lot!
Thanks Deborah! You’re gonna have to go visit your parents next January/February! 😉 I think it’s a great time of year for birding in Florida! 🙂
I’ve heard that, and your trip just cements it!
Excellent photos of two species that I’ve never seen in person! I really liked the series of photos of the juvenile with what ever it was, I’ll bet that in a year or two, the bird would have no problem deciding what to do with it.
Thanks so much, Jerry! The juvenile was hilarious, even hubby was cracking up. Yep, give him some time and he’d toss and swallow without hesitation, lol. 🙂
Beautiful Glossy shots Donna. We had a Glossy breed hidden away in Sydney at Olympic Park which we found and not many knew about, it was a lifer, and we have not seen another since. It ended up in my book. We have similar problems with our Aussie White Ibis to your White Ibis, they have become city birds and raid garbage bins and rubbish dumps etc. Sydney has too many now, it has been an interesting study for scientists, as to why they have increased their Sydney habitation. Have a great weekend:-)
I love to hear your cool finds like your Glossy, Ashley! Fun is a big part of birding. I was definitely surprised with the White Ibis in the parking lot. I think surrounding people thought I had lost my mind. The locals take all their beautiful Florida birds for granted I’m sure. Me, I don’t care what they think, lol. Have a great weekend also! 🙂
Ha ha! That’s just what I like my kindred spirited friend:-))
I love the snake/worm encounter!
Me too! 🙂
WOW! They are all amazing photographs. Thank you dear Donna, have a nice weekend, Love, nia
Thanks, Nia, have a nice weekend also!
Beautiful photos! Especially love the young White Ibis with the snake/worm. 🙂
Thanks Lisa, it is so entertaining to watch juveniles ‘on their own’. 🙂
You certainly kept your eyes open. All the better for us who delight in your pictures.
Thank you, Tom, for making me smile. 🙂
Wow!! Your photos are stunning, Donna. Love the glossy ibis in flight. 🙂
Thanks Sylvia! I didn’t even know a glossy ibis existed until I saw it in my Spoonbill photos and ID’d. So you can imagine how super-happy I was to have them at the campground! 🙂
Great captures, Donna! The Glossy Ibis in breeding plumage is truly beautiful ! Happy you could see both.
Thanks, Helen! There were only a few males in breeding plumage, the rest duller glossies I assumed were females. What a harem the males had, lol. 🙂
Wonderful shots. Especially loved seeing all the colors in the breeding plumage. What a beauty. Enough to turn any females heart aflutter.
No wonder there were so many females, that plumage really was beautiful. Wish I could have gotten more captures of the males. 🙂
Gorgeous photos. I love the white ibis and bird friend photo.
Sometimes a photo bomb works out great! I liked it too.
I love ibis. Saw a group of about 50 the other day in the grocery parking lot!
That is so cool! I would have loved to have seen that. I was really amazed to see them and a lot of other birds in areas that would not be the norm for our birds. All we ever have around our parking lots are gulls and mallards. 🙂 And that’s where I’ve gotten some of my nicest mallard close-ups!
Mallard are very pretty too! I love their green heads.