Australian White Ibis in flight at Serendip Sanctuary, Lara, in June 2009. Photo: Fir0002/Flagstaffotos". By Nola Thorpe
At the western end of Campbell Street in Wonthaggi there is a patch of bush commonly referred to as the Campbell Street Bush.
As well as natural vegetation there are some very tall cypress trees and it is here that the ibises like to roost at this time of the year
One morning recently when I went for my walk with the whippet, the sun had barely risen and the air was chilly and still. The ibises, both Australian white and the straw-necked, were there in their hundreds.
At the western end of Campbell Street in Wonthaggi there is a patch of bush commonly referred to as the Campbell Street Bush.
As well as natural vegetation there are some very tall cypress trees and it is here that the ibises like to roost at this time of the year
One morning recently when I went for my walk with the whippet, the sun had barely risen and the air was chilly and still. The ibises, both Australian white and the straw-necked, were there in their hundreds.
They were scattered across the treetops like so much Christmas bunting. Everywhere I looked there were more. As the sun rose higher in the sky, the early rays picked out even more.
My approach disturbed them and they began to flutter off with loud honking calls. Then came the very special happening that you had to be there to appreciate.
As the birds left their roosts, the feathers began to flutter slowly to the ground. I was standing in a cloud of floating feathers that wafted gently towards earth. I did try to catch a couple but they eluded me. It's a bit difficult to go running around chasing feathers through the bush.
The other ibis family, the glossy ibis, sometimes comes to visit the Baxters Wetlands, but that isn't very often.
My approach disturbed them and they began to flutter off with loud honking calls. Then came the very special happening that you had to be there to appreciate.
As the birds left their roosts, the feathers began to flutter slowly to the ground. I was standing in a cloud of floating feathers that wafted gently towards earth. I did try to catch a couple but they eluded me. It's a bit difficult to go running around chasing feathers through the bush.
The other ibis family, the glossy ibis, sometimes comes to visit the Baxters Wetlands, but that isn't very often.