This posts reveals the sorry state of Lemmon Lake this year.
Lemmon Lake dries nearly every summer. It’s part of the cycle of death and re-birth in the Joppa Preserve in Dallas, Texas. It requires a major flood event to refill the lake after a summer like the one we had last year. The nearby Trinity River must overflow its banks in order for Lemmon Lake to really become a lake again. So far this year that hasn’t happened.
The lake this summer is only a shadow of its former self. The few rain showers that we’ve experienced since the summer of 2012 have only been enough to fill the channel of the lake with a muddy slurry. As a consequence, there won’t be any Roseate Spoonbills, Anhingas, or Wood Storks at the lake this year.
Fortunately, the conditions are still attractive to White Ibis and they continue to come to the lake in droves. These pictures contain a mix of adult and first year juvenile birds in various stages of development.
![Some ibises have a slightly deeper shade of red coloration on there beaks and legs.](http://dfwurbanwildlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/whiteibis-lemmonlake-004.jpg)
![This is a first year juvenile White Ibis.](http://dfwurbanwildlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/whiteibis-lemmonlake-005.jpg)
![This ibis was drawn away from the water's edge by a grasshopper he was chasing.](http://dfwurbanwildlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/whiteibis-lemmonlake-006.jpg)
![Lemmon Lake: Summer 2013](http://dfwurbanwildlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/whiteibis-lemmonlake-007.jpg)
![An adult ibis with two juveniles of slightly different ages.](http://dfwurbanwildlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/whiteibis-lemmonlake-011.jpg)
![In addition to the darker red coloration on their legs and beaks, some ibis also sport a dewlap under their chin. I am not sure what accounts for these differences in color and form.](http://dfwurbanwildlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/whiteibis-lemmonlake-015.jpg)
Observations Details
County | – | Dallas |
|
City | – | Dallas | |
Date | – | Jun 29, 2013 | |
Time of Day | – | Afternoon | |
Temperature | – | Hot (greater than 89°F/32°C) | |
Weather | – | Overcast | |
Habitat | – | Recreation-Park | |
Type of Behavior | – | Foraging | |
Gender | – | Mixed | |
Maturity | – | Mixed | |
Observer | – | Chris Jackson | |
Main Article | – | White Ibis | Observation Location |