White-Faced Ibis
Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 8:05 pm
Since it was t-stormy we stayed closer to home this weekend. Went paddling on McCoy Reservoir, off Hwy 44 north of Susanville.
Despite it being a very popular fishing lake, we were the only ones on it today. Could be because it was cloudy and windy. At the north end of the lake was looked to be hundreds of White-Faced Ibis. We stopped paddling and let the wind drift us in close as we stayed very still, and at one point we were literally in the midst of the crowd, Ibis all around us. (Not perceived as threat because we were approaching from the water side?)
Then one of us (OK, it was me) dropped my paddle onto the gunwale of the canoe (oops), creating a loud clang, and the entire flock, seemingly hundreds of them, just erupted into flight all at once. A glorious deafening 360 cacophony of splashing water, wingbeats, and Ibis calls.
Shortly after that we watched a bald eagle go fishing and I got a shot of it hitting the water talons outstretched. Pretty far away and the picture is just a dot on the water. I am going to try to photoshop it up.
Despite it being a very popular fishing lake, we were the only ones on it today. Could be because it was cloudy and windy. At the north end of the lake was looked to be hundreds of White-Faced Ibis. We stopped paddling and let the wind drift us in close as we stayed very still, and at one point we were literally in the midst of the crowd, Ibis all around us. (Not perceived as threat because we were approaching from the water side?)
Then one of us (OK, it was me) dropped my paddle onto the gunwale of the canoe (oops), creating a loud clang, and the entire flock, seemingly hundreds of them, just erupted into flight all at once. A glorious deafening 360 cacophony of splashing water, wingbeats, and Ibis calls.
Shortly after that we watched a bald eagle go fishing and I got a shot of it hitting the water talons outstretched. Pretty far away and the picture is just a dot on the water. I am going to try to photoshop it up.