Then the birds were gone, disappearing over the trees on the western horizon.
Here are the highlight images of those few moments when the ibises were in the air.
The white ibis flock as it took off—the low light turned the fast-moving birds into blurry figures.
Turning to head northwest, the white birds took on the pink of the sunset.
Just enough light to discern some detail.
Well above the bright western horizon, but a hint of the sun's color comes through the ibises' primaries.
Turning back from north to west.
To my eye these scimitar shapes look more like skimmers or bulbats than ibises.
Dropping lower on the horizon now, against a tangerine sky.
The requisite palm tree helps us know this is Florida..
The flock changes its collective mind and wheels northward again.
Every child has drawn the M-shaped birds in pictures created with lots of sky space. Now I know why.
My camera loved the palms as much as my eyes did. Birds are still passing.
The final frame. Lead birds are setting their wings to land.
