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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

The Glossy Ibis is back! (1 Viewer)

P

peter hayes

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14.00 on December 29th 2002. Devon.

High tide on the Exe estuary, so went to the RSPB hide at Bowling Green Marsh and stayed there resolutely from 14.00 onwards in the hope of seeing my beloved Glossy Ibis again. I saw it twice in September, but have missed it every time since. It keeps shifting! I kept watch for three days running up to Christmas Eve but drew a blank. Pleased to see in the hide log that it had been spotted yesterday and the day before, coming in to roost at around 16.20.

In the meantime, there was plenty to keep me occupied. Immediately saw one Little Egret, which was extremely close, plodding along in the water and twitching with its legs as it felt its way. Then some familiar residents: four Spoonbills. All in a row, standing on one leg.

The hide was full of people hoping to see the Ibis. The vista in front of us was (to me) astounding. 800+ Black Tailed Godwit, 250+ Wigeon, 100 Dunlin, 80 Lapwing, 100 Redshank, 80 Curlew, 40 Avocet, 20 Teal, 4 Tufted Duck, 6 Pintail, 10 Shelduck, 4 Cormorants, 2 Pochard, 1 Snipe, 1 Goldeneye, and 1 Peregrine Falcon Then there were the geese: 100 Canada, 2 Greylag, 2 Barnacle.

I won’t mention the hoards of Coot and Mallards, but you get the picture. We saw the Egret and a Spoonbill flying at various stages, and spectacular examples of all birds immediately going aloft whenever a Peregrine Falcon came near.

At 16.22, the same time as yesterday almost to the minute, the Glossy Ibis dropped in to roost. It was dusk, but there was just enough light to make out this marvellous bird. Well worth the wait! Now I know he’s there, I plan to slip out early tomorrow morning to see him in daylight again, and – hopefully – flying off. Only then will I get him out of my system.
 
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