On a hot
day, a
Straw-necked Ibis flew into our
oasis and made a
bee –line for the
bowl of water in the Curlew Creche . Chicky’s parents
immediately extended their wings in attack mode
and hissed . The
Ibis stopped in its
tracks , took a few sedate steps in retreat
and then flapped up onto the
shed. There, its
bill agape, wings
extended to catch any puff of
wind , even though warm, it looked
a sad figure ,
being baked . The Ibis
responded with happy honking when a jet of water from
the hose was played onto
its body. After
a while , it then flew down , marched over to the Curlew
dish , in
defiance, dipped its head ,
in the horizontal, into the water, then stepped , elegantly , into the
water, like Cleopatra
taking a dip in the Nile ,
the fuming Curlews
glaring .
