Tuesday 1 November 2011

Glossy Mags

Today was our 3rd & final visit to Filey. I checked on the car sharing venue on my way in, as yesterday an interesting bird was present. The car part was busier than usual, but not too bad, and the 'interesting' bird hadn't been seen that morning. However, it had been commuting between the main pools & the hidden East Pool yesterday. Half an hour or so later the class shared cars back to this venue, and I made the fateful decision of going to the L-shaped hide. The group were able to discern the differences between Bar-tailed & Black-tailed Godwits, but there wasn't much else of interest. However, fairly new recruit Margaret (hence Mags in the blog title) asked what the unusual dark bird was directly under the other hide. She had found the Glossy Ibis. I set up the telescope on the birds & everyone was able to watch it quietly feeding.

After 10 minutes or so we decamped to the other hide, but before we got there apparently the Ibis flew over to the pool we had been watching, but we were screened by Willows, so were unaware this was happening. We were later informed that the Ibis flew off because of excessive noise in the small hide, but have no evidence that this was indeed the case.

Both classes went on to the beach in the 2nd half of their session & saw Purple Sandpipers, Turnstones, Oystercatchers, Redshank, Knot & Dunlin. Cormorants were on the Brigg in the morning, but we managed to find one in the sea during the afternoon. A massive flock of probablte Common Scoiters was seen heading south before the am session finished.

I returned at lunch time to find one of the county's top listers in place behind the screens. We stood behind the exterior screens for some time, and was joined by an am class member & eventually the Ibis took to the air again, and it was mobbed by a couple of crows before it disappeared into East Pool.

The afternoon group couldn't actually get in the L-shaped hide, and despite a long wait the Ibis remained out of view. However, plenty of entertainment was provided by 3 Sparrowhawks fighting amongst themselves & being mobbed by the crows & a Magpie.

Yesterday James Spencer of Ornithological Idiocy managed to get some different shots, which I've tried to add to this blog without success, so please visit his blog & take a look here: http://idiocybirding.blogspot.com/2011/10/ibis-at-dams.html

Glossy Ibis & Carrion Crow
ditto
A record shot showing some of the gloss
Glossy Ibis heading to East Pool
Oystercatchers
Knot & a Dunlin
Purple Sandpipers & a Turnstone

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