While sat down having a goodbye meal with Carina and my mum and brother, Dave Hunnybun rings with news of 7 Glossy Ibis on Brading Marshes. This is a bit of dilema because we are booked on the 0930 car ferry. Only one thing to do, we pack up in the dark and steal away from our holiday apartment to arrive at St Helens Roadbridge at dawn to meet an expectant group of familiar faces. The search begins but the clock is ticking and with no sign by around 0800 we have to leave the others and start walking back to the car. I've left us plenty of time to keep stopping and looking back. While doing this I pick up a single Ibis flying in which eventually pitched down on the west side of the River. I'm on the phone to Chris Meaney about this one when someone in the background shouts that the other six are flying in, and very soon these amazing prehistoric looking birds are winging their way towards us, eventually departing high East.
Magic! and with plenty of time to make the ferry at Cowes. But another amazing slice of luck was about to be delivered to us by the birding gods..
While driving the Brading to Newport Road actually only a few miles North-west of Brading Marshes at Nunwell/Ashey Down I spot a large dark bird being mobbed by a crow as it slowly flaps towards us. I shout to Carina whats that being mobbed ? Although I already know what it is I can't quite bring myself to believe it, but yes a Glossy Ibis flys past us in a NNE direction at 0836!
Later it turns out that another 4 birds were seen leaving Brading Marshes along time after the first six while a single still remained, giving a day total of 11 for the site! The bird we saw could have gone on to pitch into Brading Marshes although given there has obviously been an influx it could easily be different.
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