Ibis and Muscovy

Still on the bird thing.  Seriously, who does not love a bird?  Well, those jays can be annoying, that's for sure.  And goose poop isn't fun to walk or run on.  But other than that, who is not in love with birds?

Change of landscape, change of scenery.  Change of birds.  The ibis are particularly enchanting.  They love to hang out together; I have yet to see a lone ibis.  If you aren't sure what an ibis is, take a minute here and google image them.  Yes, they are white, like an egret, but look at that beak!  Look at those red legs!  I can watch them from my balcony as they pick out the insects in the ground with those amazing beaks.  Just try to imagine having an appendage like that jutting out from your face.  What would you use it for?

The Muscovy ducks are a riot.  They, too, like to hang out in a group.  To watch them waddle along, one behind the other, on their way to the pond in back is hilarious.  And I can't even tell you why.  All I know is that I cannot take my eyes off them.  I am guessing that the larger ones, the ones with the bloody red faces, are the elders.  There are so many smaller brown ducks around . . . Muscovy teenagers?  And all of them, ibis and duck, co-exist with the feral cats.

I took a walk down to the pond in back this evening.  The ibis flew overhead, over trees, circling around and settling back down not far from where they started.  The ducks continued their never-ending waddling, never sure of a destination or purpose.  Just waddling.  And the teenage ducks watched them, learning the ropes.  The feral cats skittered away, as if they don't know that I am a lover of cats, and of one in particular.

I am in love with these birds, these ducks, these cats, these reminders that there is life all around and if we're smart, we get to watch it.