For VA Birders, if you are interested in checking out the Ibis, it was =
seen yesterday during the afternoon, evening and again today in the same =
area. Good Luck!
Denise Ryan
Washington, DC
-----Original Message-----
From: va-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:va-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Michael Bowen
Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2004 3:18 PM
To: MDOSPREY@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [va-bird] GLOSSY IBIS in D.C.
Here's a little more information on the Glossy Ibis I found this morning =
on=20
the golf course at Hains Point, District of Columbia.
The bird was first seen at about 10:15 a.m.; I was driving toward Hains=20
Point on the main road into the park, just south of the intersection =
with=20
Buckeye Drive (the east-west road that runs across the north end of the=20
golf course, when I noticed a very dark bird close to the chain link =
fence=20
that separates the 7th Fairway of the golf course from the grassy verge =
by=20
the main road - I first thought it might be a Coot. I could not park =
the=20
car along this stretch (it is sign-posted "No Parking" until 11 a.m.,=20
presumably to deter commuter parking). I did a U-turn as soon as I =
could=20
and parked back up by the tennis area on the north side on Buckeye =
Drive.
When I walked back down the road, paralleling the 7th Fairway, I came=20
across the bird about 70% of the way down to the 7th hole, still close =
to=20
the chain link fence, feeding actively and probing deeply alongside a=20
narrow, water-filled channel formed during the recent rains. Its=20
down-curved bill was a medium dirty pink except at the tip, where it was =
dark. The eye and legs were very dark. Head, neck, and chest were an=20
extremely dark, even brown. Back and wings were glossy dark, with =
definite=20
green tones. The bill color reminded me of White Ibis bill color =
(reddish=20
pink), but this bird had absolutely no white feathers anywhere and=20
certainly wasn't a White Ibis, nor do I believe that it was a =
White-faced=20
(I wish!).
The bird did not fly at any time while I watched it, even though several =
hackers came close and one person drove a golf cart right by it. It was =
still in roughly the same area when I left at just after 11:00 a.m. As=20
luck would have it, I had not brought my digital camera with me.
Having looked at various field guides, I really can not conclude for =
sure=20
whether this was an adult bird in non-breeding plumage or perhaps a =
young=20
bird. Glossy Ibis is not a species I see very often, and even then they =
are usually a good distance away.
Thanks to Lydia ('The Voice') Schindler for posting for me this morning=20
while I was still out and about in D.C.
Mike Bowen
Bethesda, MD
D. H. Michael Bowen (Mike)
8609 Ewing Drive
Bethesda MD 20817-3845
Tel/Fax: (301) 530-5764
e-mail: dhmbowen@xxxxxxxxx =20
You are subscribed to VA-BIRD. To post to this mailing list, simply send =
email to va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx. To unsubscribe, send email to
va-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
You are subscribed to VA-BIRD. To post to this mailing list, simply send email
to va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx. To unsubscribe, send email to
va-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
