The Holy Grail

I think all bird watchers have a holy grail out there somewhere, though I suspect it's never a grail. For me, the holy grail is the glossy ibis. I've seen one perhaps only three times in my life. Last evening I had a stellar view of one along the Gagetown Ferry Road in Lower Jemseg.

Initially the glossy ibis caught my eye as it was flying. It was a shape that was unfamiliar to me, and that set off bells. When it landed it quickly became obvious that I had found my holy grail.

It landed about 200 feet from me but over time it came to be just a hundred feet away. With my 300mm lens I was able to get some reasonable images. Thankfully the ibis was front lit, though it would cut a striking silhouette if back lit. The ibis was very busy feeding on worms, I believe. It was probing the wet ground where the field was flooded, and finding something to gulp down. I can't say if there was a Mrs.Ibis out there too as I only saw the one. All in all, a very satisfying find.