Glossy Ibis

honeybee · #1 (**permalink**) 24-04-2007, 09:11 PM

Sorry if this has already been posted, wasn't sure where to put this as not a Brit bird but a flock have arrived at Slimbridge.

BBC NEWS | England | Gloucestershire | Exotic birds fly into Slimbridge

John · #2 (**permalink**) 24-04-2007, 09:30 PM

They have been there for a few days. Also quite a few in Cornwall and half a dozen in Ireland last week. On top of that seven Bee-eaters in Kent and quite a few Red-rumped Swallows and Hoopoes about.

We must have had some good prevailing winds to have brought that lot in.

John

Quote:

Originally Posted by honeybee

Sorry if this has already been posted, wasn't sure where to put this as not a Brit bird but a flock have arrived at Slimbridge.

BBC NEWS | England | Gloucestershire | Exotic birds fly into Slimbridge

honeybee · #3 (**permalink**) 24-04-2007, 10:02 PM

Lovely...have you managed to see any? Are they as rare visitors as the Ibis?

John · #4 (**permalink**) 24-04-2007, 10:25 PM

I saw a glossy Ibis near Preston over easter and a Red-rumped Swallow the week before. The Preston Ibis has been there for ages. As yet I haven't seen a bee-eater or Hoopoe yet this year

The R R swallow and Hoopoe are fairly regular each year. The Bee-eaters are not so frequent but we do get the odd one or two now again. Seven in one go is extremely rare as is the number of Glossy Ibis that have suddenly appeared.

John

rlchew · #5 (**permalink**) 25-04-2007, 06:50 AM

I went to see a Hoopoe in Hertfordshire yesterday .... but didn't see it

.

I remember seeing Glossy Ibis at Stodmarsh in Kent many years ago when a pair were semi-resident for several years and I saw the breeding pair of Bee-eaters at Bishop Middleham in Northumberland in 2002.

Richard

Adam Cheeseman · #6 (**permalink**) 25-04-2007, 06:35 PM

Hi Honey Bee,

Glossy Ibis do tend to overshoot and turn up in Britain every year as vagrants and some stay for quite some time, years in fact. I too saw one of the birds at Stodmarsh in Kent and also the one at Bowling Green Marsh in Devon that was there over the 2003/04 period.

Though not a breeding bird or what you could really call a regular migrant, more a vagrant, they are on the BOURC official list of British Birds.

Cheers,

Adam

GuyF · #7 (**permalink**) 25-04-2007, 07:09 PM

Do you think they could be the next colonists? According to the article the Slimbridge staff think it's a possibility.
Guy

almostnormal · #8 (**permalink**) 26-04-2007, 02:08 PM

as john said there's been one up near me at pilling for ages and ages, since before christmas in fact, but its a juvenile and its on its own. for a group of 17 to land is quite rare, and since they haven't moved on yet its not totally impossible that they'll stay, that's basically what little egrets did and look at them now, all over the show, so why not ibises? if they do breed it'll be exetremely exciting and hopefully people will be sensible enough to stay back and let them get on with it. fingers crossed i think!

John · #9 (**permalink**) 26-04-2007, 03:54 PM

8 Ibis did land in Devon about three years ago but only one stayed. That individual stayed at Bowling Green Marsh, Topsham for ages, finally moving on to Otmoor NR neear Oxford where it stayed for a while before eventually ending up in Norfolk where it stayed for a while before disappearing earlier this year I think.

It would be great if at least one pair stayed and bred.

John