Great Birding Moments #31: Glossy Ibis at last!
Glossy Ibis, Adelaide Zoo
REJOICE WITH ME!
I have finally seen a Glossy Ibis - and this one was not in a zoo or a walk-through aviary.
We had a reason to drive to Mannum this morning, about a half hour drive upstream from Murray Bridge. When we arrived I suggested to my wife that I would like about ten minutes birding at the wetlands just north of the town, near the caravan park.
This ten minutes stretched into about twenty minutes - my wife can be very patient. I managed a very good list of 38 species. I was just about to head back to the car when I spotted a solitary Glossy Ibis feeding on the mudflats about a hundred metres away. Because of the distance I didn’t even bother to take a photo. Instead I have included on this post two shots of this species taken recently in the walk-through aviary at the Adelaide Zoo.
After identifying the bird as a Glossy Ibis - and getting my wife to check it out for me to confirm it - I did a little dance. This species has been something of a bogey bird for me. I’d see it numerous times in zoos. I read about numerous sighting all over Australia - some in places I’d been just a day or two before. I knew they were widespread in many parts of Australia, but for over 30 years of birding this remained an elusive species for me.
What a relief.
Problem is now - which species takes over the mantle of Most Sought After Bird?
I’ve only got about 450 species to choose from!
For other Great Birding Moments click here.
Glossy Ibis, Adelaide Zoo
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November 26th, 2007 at 6:46 pm
*pops cork on champagne*
Congratulations!
November 26th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
Hi Trevor,
Congratulations! Both on seeing your Bogey, and on the great shots, even if they were from the Zoo.
I could suggest plenty of birds which are still bogeys for us, but especially the mythical Owlet Nightjar.
November 26th, 2007 at 10:36 pm
I’ll drink to that Snail! Thanks.
November 26th, 2007 at 10:41 pm
Thanks John. Yes - I was rather pleased with those shots.
As for the Owlet-Nightjar…. I too thought that they were mythical creatures of the night. We had heard their calls on many occasions around home here and when afar on camping expeditions. Then one magical afternoon our neighbours alerted us to one sitting out in the sun mid-afternoon in the scrub behind their home.
Such delightful little birds. Amazing.
Pity that it was before I bought my digital camera.
November 27th, 2007 at 12:58 am
[…] my visit yesterday to Mannum (just north of home in Murray Bridge South Australia) I saw two Red-kneed Dotterels on […]
November 27th, 2007 at 3:57 am
Congratulations!
I didn’t know glossy ibises were so widespread.
November 27th, 2007 at 8:11 am
Thanks John. My understanding of the species is that they are relatively widespread in suitable habitat, but not present in large numbers anywhere.
November 28th, 2007 at 6:25 pm
[…] it was a very satisfactory morning’s birding. The big bonus was adding Glossy Ibis to my list for the first time. Getting a “lifer” is always satisfying. Wednesday […]
November 30th, 2007 at 12:34 am
Congrats! A new bird is a wonderful feeling! I have only seen one Glossy Ibis, but wow! what a great bird!
December 5th, 2007 at 7:56 pm
Thanks Veery. It certainly made my day. Hope you see plenty of new birds - and lots of familiar ones in the coming year.
January 24th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
[…] for half an hour and visit the wetlands at the small river town of Mannum. If we are lucky, the Glossy Ibis might still be […]