Southern Spain, or southeast Northumberland??

Forum rules
Same as all HTUK forums, be courteous, polite and tolerant, remember everyone is entitled to an opinion, even if you don't agree with it ;)
Post Reply
Conifers
Posts: 13147
Joined: Sat Jun 20, 2009 2:11 pm
Location: Northumbs

Southern Spain, or southeast Northumberland??

Post by Conifers »

Glossy Ibis, and yep - in southeast Northumberland today icon_thumright
Attachments
Picture 415b.jpg
GoggleboxUK

Re: Southern Spain, or southeast Northumberland??

Post by GoggleboxUK »

:shock:

How unusual is that?
Clive60

Re: Southern Spain, or southeast Northumberland??

Post by Clive60 »

There have been quite a few around the UK in the last few years and even overwintering here sitting through some really cold weather. I remember there was a flock of around 20 in Wales a year or two ago. We had one on Wareham Common two years ago but I didn't get as good a pic as this one.
As other farmland birds are declining the larger waders, Herons and Egrets are increasing. Perhaps the Glossy will breed and colonise. Your pic Conifers?
Conifers
Posts: 13147
Joined: Sat Jun 20, 2009 2:11 pm
Location: Northumbs

Re: Southern Spain, or southeast Northumberland??

Post by Conifers »

Clive60 wrote:There have been quite a few around the UK in the last few years and even overwintering here sitting through some really cold weather. I remember there was a flock of around 20 in Wales a year or two ago. We had one on Wareham Common two years ago but I didn't get as good a pic as this one.
As other farmland birds are declining the larger waders, Herons and Egrets are increasing. Perhaps the Glossy will breed and colonise. Your pic Conifers?
Yep, my pic, took it this morning. It was amazingly unconcerned about people, could get within 25 metres of it without it being bothered at all, on some suburban grass beside a busy main road. It got nervous and alert if people tried to get to 20m from it, but just walked slowly away to 25m range again. I heard it was flushed by a dog walker later, but it only flew up into trees and came back down to feed again soon after.

They're still rare this far north (only 4 or 5 in Northumbs in the last 5 years), but with the Spanish population growing fast (recolonisation to 9,000+ pairs in just 18 years), I suspect they're going to become a lot more familiar in the future.
GREVILLE

Re: Southern Spain, or southeast Northumberland??

Post by GREVILLE »

Is this recent siting down to current winter climate, increased numbers or both?
Conifers
Posts: 13147
Joined: Sat Jun 20, 2009 2:11 pm
Location: Northumbs

Re: Southern Spain, or southeast Northumberland??

Post by Conifers »

GREVILLE wrote:Is this recent siting down to current winter climate, increased numbers or both?
I'd say both. If the winter had been like the last few, I doubt it would have survived up here. The previous Northumbs Glossy Ibises were all in late summer / autumn.
stephenprudence

Re: Southern Spain, or southeast Northumberland??

Post by stephenprudence »

It's not unusual to see these on the Dee Estuary (The Welsh-English one), in fact I'm pretty sure Ive seen one from a restaraunt on the beach in my town! Most likely they are stopping off on some type of migration though otherwise we'd see a whole lot more of them.
User avatar
Yorkshire Kris
Posts: 10163
Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:59 am
Location: Rural South Wakefield, Yorkshire Lat 53.64 Long-1.54

Re: Southern Spain, or southeast Northumberland??

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

We have two Ibis in Leeds but both are hotels.
GoggleboxUK

Re: Southern Spain, or southeast Northumberland??

Post by GoggleboxUK »

Yorkshire Kris wrote:We have two Ibis in Leeds but both are hotels.
:lol:

In that case, there's a penguin near me ;)
Conifers
Posts: 13147
Joined: Sat Jun 20, 2009 2:11 pm
Location: Northumbs

Re: Southern Spain, or southeast Northumberland??

Post by Conifers »

Yorkshire Kris wrote:We have two Ibis in Leeds but both are hotels.
Bet they're not Glossy, though . . . more likely Tacky Ibis? :roll: :lol:
otorongo
Posts: 1434
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2012 5:12 pm
Location: sub-subtropical London

Re: Southern Spain, or southeast Northumberland??

Post by otorongo »

Great to see them in Britain, we need more exoticity even if it's only Mediterranean.

The Wikipedia article says they've been sighted overwintering in Britain and Ireland in the recent years, so it must be a colonizing trend icon_cheers

Our winter climate is mild enough for them and it's good they're taking advantage of it icon_thumleft At least all that wetness and gloominess is not for nothing.

I'd also like to see more turtles in our rivers and wetlands, and obviously hummingbirds and parrots in the suburban gardens. The climate is improving, so maybe some day...
Blairs

Re: Southern Spain, or southeast Northumberland??

Post by Blairs »

otorongo wrote: I'd also like to see more turtles in our rivers and wetlands, and obviously hummingbirds and parrots in the suburban gardens. The climate is improving, so maybe some day...
Does Regents Park not have 'feral' terrapins in the ponds? I seem to remember some. Not exactly turtles but am sure they add color, even if they kill our wildlife.
Clive60 wrote: As other farmland birds are declining the larger waders, Herons and Egrets are increasing. Perhaps the Glossy will breed and colonise. Your pic Conifers?
Quite a few Herons around my neighbourhood, good to hear that their numbers are increasing.

Loch Leven and Vane Farm is 10 minutes up the road from me, and with a large park and woodland to the direct south of me I spot quite a few birds passing through - not an Ibis alas.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/l/lochleven/
Clive60

Re: Southern Spain, or southeast Northumberland??

Post by Clive60 »

That's a great pic Conifers, they are handsome birds particularly in the sunlight. As you no doubt know, the Sacred Ibis has also increased it's Northern range into France so we may eventually see more of them here too although it may not be so welcome as they are predatory.
Conifers
Posts: 13147
Joined: Sat Jun 20, 2009 2:11 pm
Location: Northumbs

Re: Southern Spain, or southeast Northumberland??

Post by Conifers »

Clive60 wrote:That's a great pic Conifers, they are handsome birds particularly in the sunlight.
Thanks!!
Clive60 wrote:As you no doubt know, the Sacred Ibis has also increased it's Northern range into France so we may eventually see more of them here too although it may not be so welcome as they are predatory.
They'd be less welcome here (and are less welcome in France), not so much because they are predatory, but because they are illegal aliens icon_thumbdown (i.e., escapes from zoos), rather than honest, hard-working legal immigrants like the Glossy Ibises icon_thumleft

Actually saw a Sacred Ibis up here a couple of years ago, the jury is still out as to whether it was a local UK escapee, or from the feral population in France.
Post Reply