Found by: Pam Buckle & Phil Baber.

The First Report of Glossy Ibis - Plegadis falcinellus on Severnside and South Gloucestershire. Wednesday 14 October 2009.

Pam's Account:

Phil and I had decided to pop out to Severn Beach on the afternoon of Wednesday 14th October. It was a really nice day, sunny and warm. I took a wrong turn which delayed us quite a bit. Then we stopped to look at plants in a garden shop. When we finally got to Severn Beach it was about 15:20. We got our 'scopes out and had a look around. After about 10 minutes I noticed a bird flying left to right along the shore line. At first, with my naked eye, I thought it might possibly have been an odd looking Curlew, as it had a long de-curved bill. But it seemed somehow not right for that species. I said something like, "What is that?" As soon as I put my binoculars to my eyes, I could see that it was, in fact, a Glossy Ibis! It had really long legs, and was flapping its long wings steadily. It was beautiful, and shone iridescent in the sun. "It's a Glossy Ibis!!!" I exclaimed. (Having wanted to see this species for quite some time!) Phil got on to it, and managed to have the sense to ring Paul Bowerman, somehow staying glued to the Glossy as he did so.

Incredibly Paul was actually at New Passage, which was where the bird was heading. He called back a few minutes later to say that he had seen it a minute after Phil rang off. He had also got photographs. There was great excitement all round! I just cannot believe the luck involved here: if we hadn't taken the wrong turning; if we hadn't stopped at the shop; if Paul hadn't been at New Passage, the Glossy Ibis might just have flown by unnoticed!

Phil's Account:

Pam and myself had arrived at Severn Beach seawall at 15:20 (my notebook entry.) I was hoping to show her one of the Grey Plovers I had found there the previous day. As we arrived 2 Pintail flew up, which delighted me, as I had never seen this species here before, in over 20 years. A cursory scan along the exposed mud towards Chittening produced only a Curlew, Black-Headed Gulls and a Grey Heron. 5 Turnstone flew past. Then I found 5 Ringed Plover on the shoreline. Intending to show Pam these, I began to put the 'scope on them. Meanwhile, unbeknown to me, Pam had picked up a bird flying along the shoreline towards us and began to call it. This was at about 15:30. As I took my eye from the eyepiece, I saw the bird in question. Just as Pam said, excitedly, "It's a Glossy Ibis!". Indeed it was. And performed well in front of us, with strong sunlight on its plumage, as it flew low over the shoreline towards the Second Severn Crossing. As it passed us it began to gain height rapidly. It cleared the seawall, the flats behind us and began to head off inland, virtually due west. Keeping it in binocular vision, I fumbled for my mobile phone. I had recently asked Paul Bowerman for his number in case I ever found anything interesting on site. This proved quickly to have been very fortuitous! I looked for his number, and paused as the Glossy altered its course, and began to fly up the coast once more. At this point the roof of the flats obscured the Ibis, and I lost it. But now I knew which way it was headed. I found Paul's number, and got through. Luckily (it turned out) he was at New Passage, having just got back from twitching the Staines Brown Shrike! I told him that a Glossy Ibis was headed on a bearing exactly in his direction, and for him to look back towards the bridge and wait. I rang off.

Later, he revealed that 60 seconds after the call the Ibis flew over him - just as predicted! Paul then watched it fly over Northwick Warth, where it landed briefly, "causing consternation among the ducks and waders", before being harassed by corvids. It flew then, until lost to sight, towards Aust Warth. But Paul was able to reel off about 50 photos before this happened. A search, later, of the Aust Warth area by ourselves and others failed to relocate the Ibis. It was surmised that it had continued its bearing, and flown further up the estuary. The bird was in juvenile/ 1st winter plumage.

If it hadn't been for Pam, I would have been squinting at Ringed Plovers - blissfully unaware of the Ibis flying over me. So, even though Pam has only been birding for just over a year, it cannot be overstated that she made a very valuable contribution to local ornithology on this day. Wish I could find 'rares' as easily!

A description was forwarded to the County Recorder and the BBRC. A copy of this description is featured below. This was backed up by Paul's marvellous photo records. (What is remarkable is that the 3 observers involved in this 1st sighting all share the same initials!) Phil's annotated sketches, drawn later that day from memory, are also featured here. These were also forwarded to the BBRC.

Description:

Size: Appeared slightly larger than Curlew in flight. About same size as a Little Egret, with longer fuller wings. The fact that it was all dark, in my opinion, made it look conjecturally bigger than a bird with lighter, or more camouflaged plumage.

Shape/ Jizz/ Behaviour:

Clearly an Ibis. Long, thickish de-curved bill. With curvature more after basal half of bill, giving it a slight 'kinked' appearance. (In contrast to the elegant slender curvature of a Curlew's bill, it being quite unlike that species in any other respect, to my mind.) Bill base thicker than rest of bill. One edge of base extending from eye to fore-chin. The other from eye to fore-crown in a two-sided triangle. Bill width constant to tip, where appeared slightly 'blob-ended'. (see illustration.) Long wings with broad base and arm. On hand tapering to a 'rounded point' at tip. On close views a very slight 'fingering' at the primary tips. On some wing-strokes the hand gave a more rounded appearance. (Especially on the downward strokes.) Head and neck held out before bird in flight. Neck bowed downward slightly. Bill pointing at an angle downwards. Sturdy, almost triangular head. with 2 distinct, but small, peaks at rear crown and top of fore crown (see illustration.) Legs long. Held trailing behind, with obvious bunched feet (resembling a shoe.) Reminiscent of a Purple Heron's feet, but tidier/neater. Tail shortish, looked straight edged. Legs projecting beyond. Tail tip extending to just beyond tibio-tarsal joints. Body: Slight 'keel' at front of breast, and slight 'hump' on back, visible especially on down-stroke of wings. Rear of body attenuated to tail and feet, mirroring attenuation at front-end. Distance between bill-tip to shoulder roughly equivalent to that from base of rear-wing to tips of feet. Coupled with wings, in flight profile, gave it an almost 'cruciform' appearance. But the toes to bill strut of the 'cross' contrastingly thinner than the broad 'wing-strut'! (More than any other bird, the flight jizz reminded me in some ways of Eurasian Spoonbill.) Wings markedly "bowed" downward in flight, especially from behind as it flew away. The very tips of the primaries appeared to have been 'pinched up between thumb and fore finger' (see illustration.)

Plumage:

Entire plumage a dark 'bronzy' brown. Somewhat lighter on the head and neck. With an apparent small lighter area/ zone on the chin/ upper throat. Upper and under parts concolourous. Under wing also. A slight subtle suffusion of greenish and violet was noted on certain views, and in certain lights. It was not clear exactly which areas of the plumage showed this suffusion. This did not extend to the neck and head, but was at times visible on upper body and upper wing. Otherwise the whole bird appeared solidly dark-brown. The 'bronze' and other casts were only seen, as the light caught it from certain directions as it flew. It was considered that the Ibis was a juvenile, or 1st Winter: this from its more subdued and duller plumage, and the lack of any distinct pale strip in the loral zone.

Bare Parts:

Bill, legs and feet appeared dark to dark-grey. On some views the bill appeared to have a grey to greyish-blue cast to it. The legs/ feet looked dark-greyish on all views. The eyes appeared dark. It was not sporting a darvic, or other ring (as some other Spanish birds have sported.)

Call:

It did not call.

Addendum

Locally, in Gloucestershire, a Glossy Ibis was reported at Zeiss Hide Top New Piece, WWT Slimbridge on 13:10, and it, or another at 100 Acre on 17:10. A bird was reported from Lydney on 15:10. It is unclear whether these reports relate to one or more birds. But the Lydney bird could, conceivably, be the same bird as ours. Noted the day after, and not that far from the Severnside bird's location.

If accepted, this Glossy Ibis will represent the first record for the Severnside recording area, and for South Gloucestershire. As far as I am aware, it will also be the fourth record for the Avon Area, as covered by the Avon Bird Report. Two records, I believe, from Chew Valley Lake in September, are under consideration by BBRC. The first was in November 2007 at Chew, which was accepted by the BBRC. Although nationally, this Autumn, Glossy Ibis have been well represented, to this date it remains a very rare bird in our local area. So this record is somewhat significant.

Pam Buckle & Phil Baber - October/ November 2009.