White-faced Ibis Visits Portland Fairgrounds!

 I met 3 other birders at the fairgrounds this morning to start an assessment as to whether Wangunk Meadows can qualify for special designation as an important area for birds. (I was with Patrick Comins, Corrie Folsum-O'keefe, and Alison Guinness).

  I've seen Ibis down at the shore a couple of times but was surprised to see one sitting at the pond at the fairgrounds. When we took a closer look at the ibis it appeared to have a red iris and pink skin coloration around the face. This would indicate it is a White-faced Ibis, not a glossy. It also seemed to be smaller than the Glossy Ibis's that I've seen. It's a rare sighting for this area so we took photos for verification (thanks Luke Tiller).

It was quite an exciting find!

click to play
Here's a short video clip of the Ibis in action.

note: If you happen to do any birding at Wangunk Meadows, please log sightings on e-bird. It will help with the project. Caution, Wangunk Meadows is an active hunting area.