Eudocimus albus
White Ibis are wading birds with white plumage, long decurved bills, pink facial skin and legs that turn red during the breeding season.
I was able to take a nice series of low angle images of this White Ibis in the blue lagoon by staying still as it hunted for food with my lens about an inch or two above the water.
These two White Ibis images were taken 19 frames apart and the color of the water changed dramatically as the ibis and I moved north
When I lived in Tampa, Florida the Whites Ibises were often called "Lawn Chickens" because they would feed in people's yards in big flocks.
There isn't much of a change between the plumage in breeding and nonbreeding White Ibis, primarily the differences are in the legs, bill and lores.
White Ibis can be strange looking birds to people who have never seen them before, they have soft, sky blue eyes, skinny legs, long necks and a bill that could be compared to Jimmy Durante's nose.
I love winter, I love seeing snow on the mountains and feeling the crispness in the air but I am getting tired of gray cloudy days and heavy fog so I thought I would post a few bird images from warmer and sunnier days that I took while I lived in Florida.
This is an adult White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) that I photographed at Fort De Soto's north beach that was feeding in a tidal lagoon by the mangroves
I think it is great to see a bird with sea blue eyes feeding along a shoreline with water nearly of nearly the hue.
The dangers of fishing line and hooks for birds and other wildlife are real and damaging.
Yesterday the monsoons came up from the south which meant lots of rain on moisture laden winds.
In Florida White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) are a fairly common wading bird in Florida they are also seen along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico
After my experience with screwing my white balance up that day I had to make a note to myself to remember to check my white balance setting on the camera.