This Ibis is a beauty! However they can can be hard to get a decent photograph of. The light needs to soft, certainly not direct sunlight. Their colors are almost neon.
Their huge feet allow them to walk on top of the large plants in a swamp or marsh. This looks like a type of Lily Pad.
The western US has a White-faced Ibis that looks very much like a Glossy.
Wow, that is one sharp image, Ted.
I was using my Leica 100-400 (200-800). The glass can be amazing. The design of the lens in general is horrid. Bought it when I first switched to OM/Olympus. Lighter weight and f4. But just not well thought out. One of our OM 100-400 was in the shop, calibrations issues I guess. Anyway Ellen used the OM while I was shooting the Leica.
Such a beauty, Ted, lily pads add additional appeal too! I’m expecting the Glossies to be showing up soon around me, I can drive down the road and should soon be seeing 100-200 in a farm field. I’ve even had a Glossy Ibis perched in a tree in my backyard! 😁 Yes, lily pads are much better backgrounds!
The big marshes of the ACE Basin has some Glossy, not a lot here.