Tuesday 7th September
After a rather fortuitous cancellation of some seabird survey work yesterday that would have put me at sea for 3 days, I slipped out to the patch this morning and headed along my usual route. Just before getting to one of the scrapes, I met a dog walker who casually asked if I had seen the Glossy Ibis? Somewhat disbelievingly, I said no, to which he replied "yes, 18 of them." He continued on his walk,as did I scanning the usual fields that I usually do, and not really believing the massive claim. However, on reaching the best scrape for waders and searching for the Greenshank, that I saw here yesterday evening after the rain cleared, I noticed 18+ large brown lumps moving through the rushes at the back of the field with my naked eye! - Could it really be???
I raised my bins and, yep, a huge patch tick and much wanted after a previous flock of 8 some years ago, before I moved here.
The total was in fact 20 Glossy Ibis, 6 of which were ringed. So I quickly dashed back home for my scope and camera after making a few calls and managed to get some ring numbers - (I shall post records when I have the info.) These birds are possibly from the Donana? White rings with a combination of 3 letters/numbers.
Maybe the largest flock ever recorded in the UK!????
After a rather fortuitous cancellation of some seabird survey work yesterday that would have put me at sea for 3 days, I slipped out to the patch this morning and headed along my usual route. Just before getting to one of the scrapes, I met a dog walker who casually asked if I had seen the Glossy Ibis? Somewhat disbelievingly, I said no, to which he replied "yes, 18 of them." He continued on his walk,as did I scanning the usual fields that I usually do, and not really believing the massive claim. However, on reaching the best scrape for waders and searching for the Greenshank, that I saw here yesterday evening after the rain cleared, I noticed 18+ large brown lumps moving through the rushes at the back of the field with my naked eye! - Could it really be???
I raised my bins and, yep, a huge patch tick and much wanted after a previous flock of 8 some years ago, before I moved here.
The total was in fact 20 Glossy Ibis, 6 of which were ringed. So I quickly dashed back home for my scope and camera after making a few calls and managed to get some ring numbers - (I shall post records when I have the info.) These birds are possibly from the Donana? White rings with a combination of 3 letters/numbers.
Maybe the largest flock ever recorded in the UK!????
I'm gonna lamp and club him!
ReplyDeleteNice one, Jaffa! Must have come from the same place as my Marbled Duck...
ReplyDeletemint!
ReplyDelete