White Ibis

The White Ibis ranges in size from 24 – 80cm.  The shots below were taken in Okefenokee (West Entrance), the first as we took an early morning walk along the boardwalk. The second, late afternoon, while on a boat tour into the swamp area.   

There are three entrances into Okefenokee, one on the East side, one on the North and one on the West.  The Northern entrance leads to a privately run theme park, suitable for little children.   It has however only controlled and limited access into the swamp itself.  The East and West entrances are managed by the National Parks Service and offer a more natural, less managed experience. This was more to our preference.

The boardwalk is immediately accessible from the ranger’s lodge.  It is short, less than 2 kms.  A portion of it was destroyed in a forest fire and has not been rebuilt.  The boardwalk quickly enters into the swamp and provides a natural point of view.  We were alone on the boardwalk.  When we arrived (before 9AM) there were a lot of birds in the area of the boardwalk.  Just an hour or so later they had mostly disappeared.  

Our boat tour was mid-afternoon, but given the time of year, the sun was lowering in the sky and the light was a little softer and warmer.  There were 5 people on the tour including Linda and I.  The other couple were birders from North Carolina.  They knew a lot about birds and were not restrained in imparting their learnings.  Our guide was a volunteer, who was familiar with the swamp, but less about the birds themselves. While the tour was about 2 hours in duration, it was short in distance.  There was really no need to travel far.  The guide frequently turned off the engine and we coasted into the quiet of the swamp. At this time of year there were no insects. The air was fresh. Only the ripples of the water under the boat could be heard.

The Ibis is an odd looking bird, in my mind.  I find their eyes startling; they are glass-like in shine and crispness.   In flight, they look like some prehistoric predator ready and able to pickup your young.  

From a technical point of view, the clarity of these shots points to the importance of shooting [birds] at high speed.