Well what a week!
Tuesday started out a normal day I was out with the usual volunteer work party coppicing some sallows along the west bank of Draper Hide. The chaps had all gone to lunch and i was watching the fire when i get a call from Caroline saying Graham White has found a glossy ibis on the meadow. Wow exciting a life tick for me and at Rye Meads. But i can't leave the fire until some one gets back. Fortunatly every one is on there way back after lunch and some of them are happy to take over. I dash back to the visitor centre grab some binoculars and over to the Lapwing hide and there it is YEY. Luckily Graham (our reserves ecologist) had come over for a meeting and decided to stop off in the Lapwing hide and with perfect timing the Ibis flew in. We put the word out via text, email, bird sightings sites such as Herts Bird Club and word of mouth and the twitch starts.
We decided to open at 8am the next day to let those who have to dash off to work a chance to catch up with the bird. It was a dreary and rainy day and unfortunatly there was no sight of the Ibis all day (not through lack of trying!). The phones rang all day asking if the Ibis was about and people stopped by hoping to spot it, but sadly it is only bad news. There are reports of an ibis at Spell Brook near Sawbridgeworth, may be this was the one from Rye Meads, it was a bit deflating thinking it was such a fleeting visit.
Thursday morning after opening up the visitor centre I decided to have a quick check in the Lapwing hide, just in case and there it is back in its favoutite spot. Once again we set the phones and computers wurring. The word is out the Glossy Ibis is back at Rye Meads. Yey. This threw my day for a loop as I was not expecting it at all. I set the volunteer work party up with tasks for the day and then set myself up in the hide keeping an eye on the Ibis and showing it to visitors, we get about 107 people that day. The Ibis behaved itself all day staying visible and occasionaly coming closer to the hide but mainly sticking to walking up and down the fence at the back of the short grass area. Then at 4.35 he flew off in a southerly direction, off to roost, I wonder where.
The Twitch thursday 7 November 2013 by Tom Mason
As the Ibis showerd well on thursday we once again open at 8 am friday morning but the bird is hard to pick out first thing due to the low lying mist over the meadow and the fact that he is having a snooze with his head tucked under his wing he basically looks like a brown blob in the mist, but it is not long before he starts moving along the fence line feeding as he goes . At 9.30 the Ibis takes off heading north towards Amwell turns and loops round the meadow heading towards the Draper hide and drops down in front of the hide but sadly only stays for a few minutes and then flies off again and dissapears before returning to the meadow around 10am. There are reports of a Glossy Ibis flying over Amwell at 9.40, so it looks like her went for a fly around to check out the surroundings. Friday afternoon the clouds come in and it starts to rain and gets dark very early but the ibis once again stays until 4.25 then heads off in a SSW direction.
Saturday was a day off for me but the Ibis was once again on the meadow when we open at 9am. The RMRG (Rye Meads Ringing Group) were on site early to carry out some bird ringing and pick up the ibis at 6.45 coming in from the south before landing on lagoon1 for a few minutes before moving on to the meadow. Saturday is also the start of our art exhibition based in the visitor centre (running until sunday 17 November) offering visitors a chance to purchase some lovely wildlife paintings by Alan Harris or Steve Kershaw or photography by Tom Mason.
Glossy Ibis flying at Rye Meads by John Young Sunday 10 November 2013
I am back in at 8am Sunday morning and although I checked the Ibis had been around the day before there is still that bit of trepidation. But I should not have worried the meadow is once again trumps as he feeds along the usual fence line. The RMRG were on site early again and catch it flying straight to the meadow at 7.45, a bit of a Sunday lie in. It is a beautiful sunny day, if cool, I definately needed my hat and gloves. The Ibiswas abit more mobile through out the day, at 10.30 flew north again towards Amwell then loops round over the meadow then again over the Draper before dropping in to the Draper area, luckily we pick it up on the camera in the visitor centre and we watch it as it has a wash and a preen before flying off once again. A few minutes later we once again get it on another camera on Lagoon 1 before it heads back on to the meadow. At 12.45 a buzzard spooks the Ibis and a flock of gulls from the meadow, they all circle before landing again. Then at 2pm the Ibis flies off fairly high headiwng south west. So it was keeping us on our toes keeping track of it all over the site on Sunday.
Today however is another wet and grey day and there is no sign of the Ibis on the meadow or around the reserve. I am hoping he has just decided to stay some where else for the day and will be back tomorrow, fingers crossed.
A great week. I hope you all maged to stop by and get a look at our fabulous bird
thanks
Vicky