22/02/2025 Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, North Wales

Glossy Ibis: For the first time in a long time high pressure dominated and the thick blanket of clouds departed leaving behind wall to wall blue skies.  So having made plans to head out with Gary Edwards we started the morning at Moore Nature Reserve before heading down the road to Denbighshire for the glossy.

When we arrived the bird was no longer at Rhuddlan Nature Reserve and was foraging on the fields opposite. It was great to see it up close, watching it using its long, curved bill to probe into shallow water, wet mud to detect and seize worms and other invertebrates.

Glossy ibis are migratory with the majority European birds winter in Africa. Birds from other populations may disperse widely outside the breeding season. While generally declining in Europe it has recently established a breeding colony in Southern Spain. It is a rare vagrant to the UK.

However they numbers are increasing and even back in 2014, a pair attempted to breed in Lincolnshire, the first such attempt in Britain and the first successful breeding in Britain was a pair which fledged one young in  Cambridgeshire in 2022. 

11/02/2024 Middleton, Heysham, Lancashire

Glossy Ibis: After a busy few weekends without the chance of getting out for a spot of birding I eventually was let out and caught up with the long staying glossy ibis. These birds look so odd like a cross between a heron and a curlew with green and purple-brown plumage. 

Once a rare vagrant to the UK glossy ibis numbers have increased in recent years and it has become more common, with exceptional arrivals in 2007-11. They were even confirmed as a new British breeder in 2002 when a pair was discovered breeding in Cambridgeshire. 

 

A perfect storm that have created a range of factors are in alignment that have helped the speed of this species. Southern Iberia has experienced extremely dry conditions and a relatively higher winter temperatures across the UK has encouraged large number of glossy ibis to spend the winter here.

This bird has found its winter home on a small flooded pasture field behind a small village near Heysham. Stocked with horses and chickens the flood is pretty extensive and isolated as there's no general access to the fields.  

Upon arrival the bird was at the furthermost side of the pool foraging and probing its long curved big in to the muddy banks.

Eventually, after a short while the bird was spooked by a little eager and flew into the flooded pool opposite the derelict Middleton Parish Hall car park. 

This gave me a chance to get some nice flight shots before it landed and began probing the mud for worms again. 

27/06/2014 Milnthorpe, Cumbria

Glossy Ibis: It looks like these cracking birds are extending their range and we might be having a lot more sightings in the future.

This would be my fourth including the Horwich and Hindley birds and the most showiest bird of the lot.

When I first arrived it was a black lump sleeping on the far side of the River Bela but after a short wait the bird got spooked by some neighbouring Swans and flew down river.

I caught up with the bird feeding a few hundred yards down river and watched it for a good 20 minutes before I had to get off.  This was a lovely little river bank, fast flowing and green and buzzing with birds the highlights being two Kingfisher and a couple of Little Egret.  

19/01/2014 Hindley

Glossy Ibis: Nice to see Hindley's Glossy is still there doing well, its been in the same couple of small fields since the end of December.

Unfortunately  the bird has chosen the worst light fields as its on private land and the only access faces directly into the sun!

31/12/2013 Hindley

Glossy Ibis: When I arrived back from Audenshaw, showered and ate I checked Manchester Birding Forum to find that this bird has been found just a few minutes up the road.

So I grabbed my keys and jumped in the car still leaving the housework behind

The bird has been present and showing well from 12:55 close to the road at the side of 23 Firs Park Crescent by the gate to the stables.

When I arrived at 15.20 the bird was still in this location.

29/09/2013 Horwich Moors

Glossy Ibis: There has been four glossies hanging around the moors of Horwich particularly around the Bob Smithy pub.

So after a 6am start today and an hour wait on a windy Horwich moor without any sign of the bloody birds, I went to work, but came back!

Once I arrived I spotted two birds feeding just a few metres away from me. They were oblivious of the long line of photographers and birders until they decided to stretch their wings and fly a bit further up the field.

In the end they disappeared around the corner and across the road to a farm field. Where I was shooting in to the sun so decided to put the camera down and enjoy these awesome birds!


It was also great to bump in to David Shallcross from Leigh Ornithological Society (or L.O.S.) and some other great guys from the group.


http://www.leighos.org.uk/p/about-los.html

http://shallcross-images.blogspot.co.uk/