I was still in bed when I noticed a phone message reporting that a Glossy Ibis had been seen at the Reedy Ditch. It had flown in at 8:15am and was seen walking the edge of the reed bed before disappearing behind brambles. It wasn’t seen again by 9am. I had decided not to go to NO today as we had a 2:30pm zoom call for Mum’s birthday. With the ibis news, however, I decided that I would head down for a few hours and I arrived at the reedy ditch at 11am. There was no sign.
Over the next 90 minutes I walked up and down the road to get as many viewing angles as possible. I also checked the adjoining fields and at 12:30pm, with rain threatening, I watched another bird coming in and was thrilled to see the classic ibis profile. It drifted off south losing height behind the trees. I sprinted back to the layby to try and see it again but there was no sign.
Glossy Ibis
I presumed that it had dropped into the wet fields towards P Shore but 15 minutes later I was pleased to see it again in the grass near the reedy ditch gate.
There has been a wintering Glossy Ibis at Stanpit but given the fact that the Stanpit bird was seen at 10am today this must be second bird. I left at 1pm with the rain falling steadily.
Ian visited the next morning and the Glossy Ibis arrived from its roost, probably around B Water and JV, at just before 8am. After dropping down behind a hedge it then magically re-appeared in an adjacent field only 15 yards away. It remained settled in this area posing for frame filling photos.
Glossy Ibis photos by Ian Williamson
Patch Birding 