White Ibis at Ocean City

We paused. But not for the herons. There were somewhere between 150 and 200 of them — adults, all white save for black wingtips and vivid pink faces — packed into trees and shrubs along the rookery’s lower level beneath the Ocean City Welcome Centre. Bhavna and I stood there trying to work the angles. The sun was still climbing and the light kept shifting. Then, without obvious warning, they all left at once. White Ibis · Saturday 11 April 2026FujiFilm X-T3 · ISO 3200 · 1/250 secXF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR · 600 mm · f/8.0 We watched them for a bit working the angles as best as I could. The sun was still rising and the light was changing fast. Then suddenly they all took flight passing along the narrow corridor between the Welcome Center and the trees where they were just rooting. They flew off into the distance. I assumed that they were “gone fishing”. But why all at once? Perhaps one or more birds sensed it was “the right time” to leave and started. The others followed. Flock instinct? I don’t know. They left behind about three dozen Snowy Egret, still nest building in the trees and shrubs. I guess the egret weren’t hungry. Or perhaps they coordinate with the Ibis, taking turns fishing. Saturday 11 April 2026FujiFilm X-T3 · ISO 640 · 1/1000 secXF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR · 150 mm · f/8.0 I tried to get some shots of the birds as they left but the flight path was still covered in shadow from the bridge. It wasn’t until they started to return to the rookery, that I had many opportunities for “bird in flight” photos as they passed overhead. Bhavna and I were still at the bridge. I shifted my focus to the Snowy Egret.