Ibis

does anyone know anything about Ibis birds?

Right now there are about 200 hanging around near the house at the farm.

I've seen small groups of up to maybe 20 before, but never this many in one spot.

There is a bit of water laying from the rain yesterday, which Ibis do enjoy, but its odd that there are so many today.

I just know a hotel is named after them

bahaha good one mate :)

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hmmm, signed in to post about ibis, then saw hippie's post about apophis.

Egypt....

getta big net

at that chicken catcher

From Wikipedia:
"According to Josephus, Moses employed ibes against serpents during a desert campaign into Ethiopia in his early life. Pliny the Elder also recounted, “The Egyptians invoked [ibes] against the serpents.”"

"The African Sacred Ibis was an object of religious veneration in ancient Egypt, particularly associated with the god, Thoth."

Nice birds, I'd love to see one some day.

Maybe rained too much at their usual hangout mate ?

Quote :

Breeding and Movements of the Straw-necked Ibis in Australia

NG Mckilligan

Abstract



Data on distribution and movements were obtained from the literature, an Australia-wide questionnaire and regular censuses at fifteen locations in eastern Australia from May 1969 to December 1972. Fifty-four breeding swamps were recorded, most in south-eastern Australia, Northern Territory and south-western Western Australia. Populations using these breeding areas may be largely discrete. Differences in time and regularity of breeding are probably caused by rainfall. Seasonal movements occurred between breeding areas and eastern coastal refuges in each year, but later and in smaller numbers in years of good rainfall inland than in poor ones. North-eastern Queensland seems to be an important refuge for Ibis breeding in northern Australia and south-eastern Queensland for those from south-eastern Australia, with relatively few sightings in intervening central coastal Queensland. Juveniles appear to disperse earlier and more widely than adults.

Local rainfall may stimulate Ibis to depart from refuges, most departures probably being pre-nuptial; rain also probably stimulates breeding. Though flooding is enough to do this at many swynps, at two in South Australia, not affected bv floods, increase in temperature is probably the proximate stimulus.

http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/MU9750199.htm

stal wrote:

does anyone know anything about Ibis birds?

i have seen them in the tide lands along the no calif coast ...
white ones ...
i did find this:

Quote :

The ibis, sacred birth of Thoth, was relatively common throughout Egypt until the 19th Century, but now has almost disappeared. Sacred ibises were mummified during the Late Period and Ptolemaic times, and buried in large numbers in different catacombs through Egypt. There were three types of ibis in Egypt - the sacred ibis, the hermit ibis and the glossy ibis. The hermit ibis is not a waterside bird, so it is depicted less frequently than the other two birds that were common along the banks of the Nile.

Ibises were sacred because they had secret knowledge: They showed up shortly before the annual floods. The ibis-headed god, Thoth, was a scribe, whose pen repeatedly dipped in ink in a manner that the long beaks of the ibises dipped into the mud. Egyptians also saw a mysterious connection between the sickle-bills of the ibises and the crescent moon.

The Australian White Ibis (Sacred Ibis) Threskiornis molucca (T. aethiopica) is often seen at Bushy Park Wetlands. It is a large 66-76 cm, stocky bird with a long dark down-curved bill. Head and neck are black and the iris of the eye is dark brown. The body is white although often stained light brown. Secondary plumes and wing tips are black. Legs and feet are reddish brown. The sexes are similar with little seasonal variation, but juveniles have a dusky head.

This bird belongs to an ancient group, with fossil records going back some 60 million years.

http://www.greatdreams.com/alex/sacred-birds.htm

and this:

Quote :

Ibis:
Alchemically speaking, the ibis is the harbinger of lunar functions, cycles of time, measure and movement. To say the least, its role in alchemical symbolism should not go unnoticed by any practitioner. Great importance was placed on the moon, and the ibis would be depicted on alchemical scripts as a sort of placation for successful transmutations.

funny, since i had been delving into the alchemy info ....

hmmm thanks guys & gals.

They were all black ibis today.

My mum sees a pair of white ibis every year though.

Interesting they are associated with thoth.

Food for thought...