After seeing the white-faced ibis several times, here and here, I thought they were the ugly cousins of more beautiful ibis like the sacred ibis, American white ibis and glossy ibis. However, now that I've discovered them near the Salton Sea and seen them quite a few times, they've become one of my favorite birds. In the right light, they are spectacularly beautiful.
In April I saw them filling the skies and got the most spectacular views of any ibis I've ever had. Yesterday I saw lots of them flying around south of the Salton Sea, not in the same great numbers as in April, but consistent small groups.
The light was bad for detail of the plumage. |
Then in Niland at the man-made (mitigation) swamp between McDonald and Hazard Roads, I saw lots of them and took quite a few photos which I share below.
With a black-necked stilt. |
The sun was hitting this one just right. I love the pink and light blue in some of the feathers. |
It has such exotic coloring, iridescent like a peacock, but in the red and orange spectrum rather than blue and green.
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