Forsythe-Barnegat 5/29--White Ibis

White Ibis, immature, with Great Egret & Glossy Ibis

I was noodling around Double Trouble SP yesterday morning, doing more walking than birding when I got a text from my friend Karmela who lives across the street from the Barnegat impoundments. Unfortunately, it was a picture message and my 1990's-technology phone wasn't able to open the file. A few minutes later I got a text alert from SNJbirds: White Ibis found by Karmela. Now I knew what was in her file and I raced down the path from Ore Pond to the parking lot. Double Trouble is around 20 minutes away from Barnegat, right down the parkway, so I was there at about 9 o'clock. While driving down there I was really hoping the bird would stay in sight, not only because it is a great county bird that I already missed once this year, but because I started the day out in a bad mood and if I missed this bird I would be plunged into the abyss of terminal moodiness.

I pulled up to the cut, grabbed binoculars and camera and asked the photographer already there, "Where's the bird?" She pointed and it was nearby, close enough for my camera to get decent pictures. (Many times the cool birds at Barnegat are visible but distant.)

The bird is immature with it's brown wings just molting into adult plumage. Karmela came down and we talked and watched the bird work along the edge of the phragmites. After a few minutes and another birder showing up we were still talking but had lost track of the bird which had walked around the end of the phragmites stands and out of sight. A couple of extra stoplights and I might have missed the bird.

Not a year bird--we had a small flock fly over when we stayed overnight in Florida in April. Not even Bird of the Day (used it in Florida). I had to use Marsh Wren yesterday, two of which were singing in the reeds while we looked at the ibis.

Highlight of the day reached at 9 A.M. I then drove home, dressed in a suit & tie and Shari & I drove to Staten Island for a wedding. The phrases "suit & tie" and "Staten Island" give you an idea of my mood for the rest of the day.