white ibis seen near SLC airport July 15

[David Fischer <david dot fischer at bayercropscience dot com>]

Greetings Utah birders:

I saw what sure looked like 2 adult white ibises near the SLC airport about 7:10
am on Thurs, July 15.  I was in a hotel shuttle going to the airport from the
Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites which is a couple exits west of the airport on
I-80.  As the shuttle exited from I-80 east bound to go to the airport, the two
birds flushed from about 25 yards just south of the highway and were last see
flying toward the southwest of that point.  I had no binoculars but got an
excellent look and this is a very distinctive species: white birds the size of
snowy egrets, but with black wingtips and necks extended forward when they flew.
I know this species well.  In fact I saw some as recently as the previous week
(while doing field work in Georgia).

Now its been a few years since I did any birding in Utah (was at BYU 1982-86)
but I don't remember white ibis being a regular species there.  Maybe things
have changed, but if this species is as rare as I think it is, maybe someone
might want to do a little looking around that general area.

Good birding,

Dave Fischer
Olathe, Kansas

BTW, this was an unplanned overnight stay in SLC courtesy of Skywest Airlines
(missed connection).


-------------
David L. Fischer, Ph.D.
Bayer CropScience
Ecotoxicology
Bayer Research Park
17745 S. Metcalf Ave.
Stilwell, KS 66085 USA
voice 913-433-5134
fax  913-433-5324
david.fischer@bayercropscience.com

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