We were down at the river, and I got this bird having a bath.
Wait until you see the last 2 photos.
This is a Hadeda Ibis (Bostrychia hagedash) and it's the first time for me to get him on camera in this part of the river.
The hadada ibis (Bostrychia hagedash) or hadeda /ˈhɑːdiːdɑː/ is an ibis native to Sub-Saharan Africa. It is named for its loud three to four note calls uttered in flight especially in the mornings and evenings when they fly out or return to their roost trees. Although not as dependent on water as some ibises, they are found near wetlands and often live in close proximity to humans, foraging in cultivated land and gardens.
A medium-sized ibis with stout legs and a typical down-curved bill, the wing coverts are iridescent with a green or purple sheen. They are non-migratory but are known to make nomadic movements in response to rain particularly during droughts. Their ranges in southern Africa have increased with an increase in tree cover and irrigation in human-altered habitats.
They forgot to mention that people in the suburbs hate these birds, because the birds sit on their roofs and scream them awake at early dawn.
This is one of my favorite spots at the river, and I also got the Paradise Fly Catcher here, that I posted recently.
So now come and watch the action below.
You know when you dunk your head in the water, it forces you to take a deep breath. Check how this guy comes up, gulping for air.
Finally, he had enough and was starting to shake the water off.
This is my favorite shot of him.
Then he stepped out of the bath, and sadly with all the trees around I couldn't get him taking off.
Before my daughter emigrated to the UK, they had trouble with four Hadedas sitting on their house's roof in the mornings. It shouted so loud that it woke the whole neighborhood up, and they struggled to get the birds away, and even put a fake cat on the roof, but that did not deter the Hadedas, as they figured it out and then they sat next to the cat screaming. As a joke during a call from her, I said to her that I will send a box with Hadedas to them. I cannot tell you what she had to say, but it made me totally forget to send her a box of Hadedas. Lol.
Such is life.
I hope you enjoyed the pictures and the story.
Photos by Zac Smith-All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon PowershotSX70HS Bridge camera.
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