One of my favorite places to go to photograph birds is the state of Florida and all along the gulf coast on over to Texas. This bird we see here is a White Ibis. A common bird found in Florida wetlands and in south Florida can also be found in parks or even in your front lawn. These are large birds that usually are found in large groups but sometimes can be found in smaller groups
I am employed as a truck driver and my route takes me from Pennsylvania to the Carolinas and sometimes into Florida. This bird photographed here was taken in Lakeland, Florida at one of my deliveries while sitting in my truck waiting for a dock door to back into and have my trailer unloaded. Here are the photos
Some cool facts about the White Ibis are provided by "The Cornell Lab of Ornithology" website
1. Male White Ibises are super protective. They guard the nest and their female to prevent other ibises from stealing sticks from the nest and from advances of other males during nest building and egg laying. It's not until night when the risks are lower that the female is left alone
2. When baby White Ibises hatch their bills are straight. Their bills don't start to curve downward until they are 14 days old
3. The mascot of the University of Miami in Florida is a White Ibis, affectionately called Sebastian the Ibis. Legend has it that they choose the White Ibis for their heroic ability to withstand hurricanes, which is the name of the university’s football team
4. Female White Ibises are smaller than males, weighing nearly 10 ounces less on average with a smaller bill and shorter wings
5. The oldest recorded White Ibis was at least 16 years, 4 months old when it was found in Florida in 1972. It had been banded in Alabama in 1956
My camera equipment:
Canon EOS 60D body
Canon EF-S 18-135mmf/3.5-5.6 IS Lens
Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM for Canon EF mount
Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di Vc USD Lens for Canon
All photos are handshot, no tripod
Thanks everyone for taking the time to read this post. Have a great day/night wherever you may be
