Today is the first Tuesday in November
Ask any Melburnian what that means
and they will answer
Cup Day
Most Australians will know
but its only in Melbourne
that there is a public holiday
to celebrate at
Horse Race
Anyway we weren’t going to Flemington
or anywhere near a racetrack
or a pub
or friends home
to watch the race
so we decided to go for a drive
We drove out to Warburton
and walked along the river bank
Lots of others out enjoying the sunshine
but I’ll tell you all about that another day
So what I did see and am quite excited about
It was this bird
The Australian White Ibis
We saw several at Healesville
when we stopped for icecream on the way
Foraging around the tables
at the cafe
We had seen the Straw Necked Ibis in Bowen
but never managed to sight the white one
It made my day lol
There is another White Ibis called the Sacred Ibis
It also has a slightly different name
Here are some links if you are interested
Threskiornis molucca – Australian White Ibis
Threskiornis spinicollis – Straw Necked Ibis
Threskiornis aethiopicus- African Sacred Ibis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Sacred_Ibis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Sacred_Ibis
Still Waters 
We don't get a day off, but most NZ stops too! It was a great race this year.
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What beautifully mystical birds they are! Thanks for sharing them with us!Sandi
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Strangely beautiful bird. I have a group of crows who have taken up residence in the trees in my tent area. They call out to each other and scour the area for what ever they can find. They hand out at my compost bin a lot!
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Cathy, Canberra has a holiday on Melbourne Cup day too. Then there is little old Adelaide…she has a day off for Adelaide cup. Doesn't make a difference to me…I have EVERY day off !!!!Lots of sacred white ibis around here, they they like the open water dams. Beautiful.
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