Reader
Well-known member
I am surprised that Peter Hayes Journalistic eloquence allowed him to forget a dramatic incident involving the Glossy Ibis. If he had remembered you would have had an excellent report with headlines such as “NEAR TRAGEDY HITS MAJOR BIRD” or “BIRD IN LIFE OR DEATH STRUGGLE” or “THE GALLERY OF SPECTATORS HELD THEIR BREATH AS THE DRAMA UNFOLDED” Actually I quite like the last one. Any way I will get to that soon. I won’t really add much to Andrew’s excellent report but I will add the bit prior to my meeting the other members.
Ros & I got up at 03:30 as my first port of call was to take Ros to her friends in Newton Abbott. We set off from Birmingham at 04:50 and at 06:47 we were a mile south of junction 25. There was enough light to see a few Crows and magpies flying around the motorway system when a large bird appeared in the distance flying low along the hard shoulder in front of us. As it got closer it suddenly veered into the path of the car. At the last minute, as I started to brake, the bird must have realised it’s near fatal mistake and veered back towards the hard shoulder whilst ascending quickly. We just missed it as we passed under a Tawny Owl. Jeez!! What a way to see your first Tawny Owl of the year.
After dropping Ros off at her mates I arrived at Bowling Green Marsh around 09:15. There were a few birders already there but after asking them it was stated that the Glossy Ibis had shown earlier but not for an hour at least. I scanned the marsh in front of me and the only birds I saw, that Andrew didn’t, were a couple of Drake Pintails and 6 Ruff. After 15 minutes I decided to go down to the platform and as I was about to leave the hide Kingfisher made himself known to me. We had a quick chat and I said I would be back in 30 minutes, in time to meet the others.
I had gone only about 100 yards when I came to a field that was hidden from the hide by a line of trees and bushes. In the distance, amongst the grass I could see movement. The movement was about 100-150 yards away. At first all I could make out was 5 Moorhen but there was one bird about 12 feet to the left of them that didn’t look like one of them. I could only see a small portion of it’s back, as it was down a dip behind the fairly long grass, but it looked a different shape. I watched for about 10 minutes before it started to move up the slope. The Glossy Ibis then emerged into bright sunlight. I looked to see if any birders were around so I could call them over but I was I was on my own. A couple of minutes later a young woman came around the corner and asked what I was looking at. I put her onto the bird and she said that at last she had seen it. She had, apparently, been along here quite a few times in the hope of seeing the bird. She told me she was going to the hide and I asked if she would let everyone know in the hide that the Glossy ibis was out. A few minutes later all and sundry had vacated the hide and were standing next to me. The bird had moved tight to the trees and was partially hidden.
As we watched a fox came out from by the reeds. It stood still, as if surveying its intended prey. It slowly moved forward, stopped, looked, moved forward again and stopped yet again. We were all watching this as it happened, suddenly realising that the Ibis was in danger. The fox edged forward, the Moorhens moved, the Ibis stayed still. The Fox moved forward slowly again, the Moorhens had had enough and took flight; the Ibis stood its ground. The fox had fixed its gaze on the Ibis and moved forward edging closer and closer. The Ibis still stood still. I held my breath as the Fox was now only a few feet away and still the Ibis stood its ground. The Fox edged even closer and at last the Ibis got the message that a predator was near and it took flight. I think all of us let out a sigh of relief as we possibly all thought that we were about to witness the demise of the Devonian Glossy Ibis. What a tragic end that would have been. The Ibis flew straight towards us but then veered off over the bushes. We all moved to the left and watched as it slowly walked under the fence and back into the field where we had just been standing. It stopped right in front of the only gap in the trees and all the birders were privileged to witness this bird as close as 15 feet away from us, which was further enhanced by the brilliant sunshine that bathed the marsh. This was possibly the closest that anyone had ever been to the bird.
What a start to a day that I have to say I fully enjoyed. The company was great although it was a shame that Tony left so early and Dave didn’t stick around. One or two others didn’t make it. But it was left to the intrepid 4 to see out the day (not forgetting Andrews mother who accompanied us wherever we went). I have placed a photo of us 4 in the gallery.
Ros & I went out to Prawle Point the next day after Cirl Buntings but you will have to read my report in the Birding day forum to see how we got on.
Ros & I got up at 03:30 as my first port of call was to take Ros to her friends in Newton Abbott. We set off from Birmingham at 04:50 and at 06:47 we were a mile south of junction 25. There was enough light to see a few Crows and magpies flying around the motorway system when a large bird appeared in the distance flying low along the hard shoulder in front of us. As it got closer it suddenly veered into the path of the car. At the last minute, as I started to brake, the bird must have realised it’s near fatal mistake and veered back towards the hard shoulder whilst ascending quickly. We just missed it as we passed under a Tawny Owl. Jeez!! What a way to see your first Tawny Owl of the year.
After dropping Ros off at her mates I arrived at Bowling Green Marsh around 09:15. There were a few birders already there but after asking them it was stated that the Glossy Ibis had shown earlier but not for an hour at least. I scanned the marsh in front of me and the only birds I saw, that Andrew didn’t, were a couple of Drake Pintails and 6 Ruff. After 15 minutes I decided to go down to the platform and as I was about to leave the hide Kingfisher made himself known to me. We had a quick chat and I said I would be back in 30 minutes, in time to meet the others.
I had gone only about 100 yards when I came to a field that was hidden from the hide by a line of trees and bushes. In the distance, amongst the grass I could see movement. The movement was about 100-150 yards away. At first all I could make out was 5 Moorhen but there was one bird about 12 feet to the left of them that didn’t look like one of them. I could only see a small portion of it’s back, as it was down a dip behind the fairly long grass, but it looked a different shape. I watched for about 10 minutes before it started to move up the slope. The Glossy Ibis then emerged into bright sunlight. I looked to see if any birders were around so I could call them over but I was I was on my own. A couple of minutes later a young woman came around the corner and asked what I was looking at. I put her onto the bird and she said that at last she had seen it. She had, apparently, been along here quite a few times in the hope of seeing the bird. She told me she was going to the hide and I asked if she would let everyone know in the hide that the Glossy ibis was out. A few minutes later all and sundry had vacated the hide and were standing next to me. The bird had moved tight to the trees and was partially hidden.
As we watched a fox came out from by the reeds. It stood still, as if surveying its intended prey. It slowly moved forward, stopped, looked, moved forward again and stopped yet again. We were all watching this as it happened, suddenly realising that the Ibis was in danger. The fox edged forward, the Moorhens moved, the Ibis stayed still. The Fox moved forward slowly again, the Moorhens had had enough and took flight; the Ibis stood its ground. The fox had fixed its gaze on the Ibis and moved forward edging closer and closer. The Ibis still stood still. I held my breath as the Fox was now only a few feet away and still the Ibis stood its ground. The Fox edged even closer and at last the Ibis got the message that a predator was near and it took flight. I think all of us let out a sigh of relief as we possibly all thought that we were about to witness the demise of the Devonian Glossy Ibis. What a tragic end that would have been. The Ibis flew straight towards us but then veered off over the bushes. We all moved to the left and watched as it slowly walked under the fence and back into the field where we had just been standing. It stopped right in front of the only gap in the trees and all the birders were privileged to witness this bird as close as 15 feet away from us, which was further enhanced by the brilliant sunshine that bathed the marsh. This was possibly the closest that anyone had ever been to the bird.
What a start to a day that I have to say I fully enjoyed. The company was great although it was a shame that Tony left so early and Dave didn’t stick around. One or two others didn’t make it. But it was left to the intrepid 4 to see out the day (not forgetting Andrews mother who accompanied us wherever we went). I have placed a photo of us 4 in the gallery.
Ros & I went out to Prawle Point the next day after Cirl Buntings but you will have to read my report in the Birding day forum to see how we got on.
