I’ve been birding for 55 years, with 38 of these spent in Cambridgeshire. Last summer time [2022] a very thrilling occasion occurred within the county involving breeding Glossy Ibis. The information was stored quiet for the welfare of the birds, additionally with the hope that they’d come again to breed once more. This did not materialise, nonetheless, and so now it feels protected to let the information out. I’ve additionally not too long ago had affirmation by way of the Cambridgeshire county recorder, Jon Heath, that the report has been accepted as the primary confirmed breeding of Glossy Ibis in Britain. Please word that the situation of the nesting try has been withheld on this article.
This breeding-plumaged Glossy Ibis was current in Cambridgeshire in July 2023. Despite the presence of this hen, no proof of breeding was famous, as in 2022 (Richard Atkins).
Prior to the next occasions, and since my return from birding overseas in April 2022, I had spent roughly 600 hours birding my patch. Up to 11 Glossy Ibis had been seen frequently. Below is a timeline of the occasions from August onwards.
6 August 2022: I seen what appeared, at first look, to be a young Common Moorhen clambering among the many twigs. I assumed it uncommon as a result of I do not recall seeing moorhens that prime in a tree (maybe 5 m). I put my telescope on it and, earlier than it disappeared, I felt certain that it was a Glossy Ibis chick, having noticed the young of this species at shut quarters in Doñana in southern Spain. At this level I despatched a message to the native Whatsapp group. A reply to this message knowledgeable me that this is able to be a primary for Britain.
8 August 2022: Better views of the young hen climbing amongst twigs had been obtained, its invoice exhibiting a grey-pink band.
9 August 2022: Better views nonetheless revealed that the invoice was about half grown and that the chick was additional developed that I had first thought. The young hen then moved out of sight. An grownup appeared out of the foliage and got here down to a degree above the place the chick had gone. The grownup was noticed regurgitating and seemed to be within the act of feeding what I thought to be the obscured chick. Two different adults had been seen mating and nest building.
12 August 2022: No fewer than 11 adults had been seen leaving the breeding space as a flock. One returning moments later and disappearing into foliage.
13 August 2022: On my arrival seven adults had been famous feeding within the lake under the nest website and the young hen could possibly be seen in its traditional place. Though closely obscured, it could possibly be seen that the invoice had elevated in size and its color was fading.
15 August 2022: Seven adults had been seen to depart however one returned almost instantly and was noticed regurgitating and reaching all the way down to feed the hidden chick on a decrease department. However, from my place, the chick remained absolutely obscured.
No additional vital sightings had been made for the next week, though usually between seven and 10 grownup birds would depart the nest space after which two to 4 birds would return almost instantly and disappear into deep foliage.
22 August 2022: Three adults and one juvenile had been noticed flying. The juvenile was famous to be roughly 10% smaller than the adults with shorter primaries, an clearly shorter invoice and sooner wingbeats. These 4 options had been all famous by each observers current that morning.
23 August 2022: On arrival two adults had been famous. One left and the remaining hen was joined by the juvenile which was seen to be begging. By now it was famous that the invoice on the juvenile was lengthy sufficient to suit inside the grownup vary, however was nonetheless noticeably shorter and appreciably paler than that of any of the adults. The head and neck had been clearly paler than these of the adults.
24 August 2022: Five adults left the positioning, one being unusually vocal. After flying not more than 200 m, the vocal hen turned and returned to the nest space. A juvenile appeared from the foliage and was seen begging from the grownup. No meals was given and the grownup moved away, at which level a potential second juvenile approached, begging from the grownup. No meals was given. It is just not sure whether or not this was, certainly, a second surviving chick, nevertheless it did emerge about 2 m away from the place the primary juvenile was seen moments earlier, and on the opposite facet of the grownup.
27 August 2022: 11 ibis left the roost/nest website as a flock, one showing to have a smaller wingspan.
29 August 2022: 12 ibis departed as a flock.
All observations occurred between 3.45 am and 6.45 am, with a complete of 63 hours over 23 visits following the primary sighting. After the 12 birds had been seen to depart the nest space as a flock on 29 August, giant numbers weren’t reported once more within the space. It was a disgrace that breeding did not happen once more in 2023, however there’s hope for the long run.
The above picture reveals the young Glossy Ibis, which landed briefly after a coaching flight earlier than it disappeared into dense foliage. In the poor mild of early morning, the pale streaks on the top and neck, indicative of a juvenile, had been seen by way of optics however within the {photograph} present solely as a pale head and neck, not noticed in any of the breeding-plumaged adults current (Steve Hutchinson).
Thanks go to Rich Atkins and to RSPB workers, Richard Taylor, Tom Williams and Chris Hudson, all of whom joined me at these early hours on one or, in some circumstances, many events all through this three-week interval. Two of those individuals received to see the young ibis, whereas two weren’t so lucky.
Jon Heath has offered some context to the standing of Glossy Ibis in Cambridgeshire: “This was a uncommon hen within the county, with fewer than 30 data previous to 2020. In autumn 2020, a small inflow involving a minimum of 10 birds occurred. These remained all through 2021 and had been even seen nest prospecting late within the breeding season. More ibises arrived in 2022, with breeding confirmed as above, plus the 12 birds represented a brand new county report depend.
“A poor breeding season for Glossy Ibis within the Doñana NP in 2020 was adopted by two gentle winters in Britain – a set of occasions that was predicted to probably result in the birds breeding in Britain (Ausden et al 2019). Having been displaced north, the wetlands of Cambridgeshire are seemingly simply giant sufficient to help a breeding pair of ibises. However, two very chilly snaps in winter 2022-23 meant a lot of the ibises, together with Cambridgeshire’s Western Cattle Egret inhabitants, retreated south – just one or two birds remained in 2023.”
Reference
Ausden, M, White, G, and Santoro, S. 2019. The Changing Status of the Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus in Britain. SIS Conservation, 1: 116-121.
