At end of last month I posted 

On the Suffolk Coast at Walberswick hoping for something a little different.

The something different was a Glossy Ibis and it was seen where it was reported but at quite a distance.

On Monday we were on a walk from Southwold with friends and ended up near where the Glossy Ibis was still being reported over the river at Walberswick. It was just a short walk across the river foot bridge and along the path to where we had seen it. We had gone some way without seeing it when two people came from the other direction with a camera with long lens, so we asked whether they had seen the Glossy Ibis. They said they hadn't and didn't know about the Ibis but they had seen a bird they couldn't identify, it was like a Curlew but black. After showing them a picture of a Glossy Ibis on my phone it was "yes that's it" but it was back the way we were going and just to the side of the path from the bridge going straight, not turning left as we had done. A quick turn around and we found it very close to the path at the bottom of a steep bank and completely unconcerned by people walking past. It was fortunate that it was that close because it was very misty, some times almost foggy but happily the subdued light seemed to help with the colour rendition of the feathers. There are a lot of photos, far more than here, because you can never quite take enough, especially when the bird made no attempt to move on and we had to leave it happily poking about. Ironically some of the best pictures came after my wife said haven't you got enough pictures yet and I had started to leave when it went into a session of preening and I had to go back for more.

It wasn't really a bird watching walk, just a meander with friends who do like wildlife, and I've learned to always take the camera if at all possible. The only other bird I photographed in the mist was an ever present Stonechat.

Best Wishes,

Trevor