Work has been hectic and even on Sunday morning I had to put in a few hours to deliver on projects for Monday morning. So it was after a late lunch that I noted that a single glossy ibis was still nearby and with my wife out with her tennis team, I decided to take the afternoon for myself.
I arrived at the Stratfield Brake Sports Ground, parking in the car park with some sports in progress around the extensive facility. I made my way to the hedge line and the footpath, heading for the water at the western end of the site - I'd never been here before and it was a very pleasant area to walk. I reached the pool and talked to an elderly gent who was watching through bins - he said that a glossy ibis had just walked behind the bushes in the middle of the pool. The pool itself looked great for waders with lots of exposed mud on the water's edge. It was only minutes and the ibis strolled out and began to feed - I took photos as you might expect.
I walked on further and there were other areas of trampled grass that allowed closer access to the fence line - this allowed slightly better views over the reeds. To my right was a little grebe, a snipe and a black-tailed godwit and out in front a great white egret. Talking to some of the other birders this pool is usually full of water and only contains ducks and geese - the recent extremely hot weather has made quite a difference. One passer-by was extremely keen to try and get birders to visit and take an interest in the pool to try and stop development of the area for a Football Stadium.
After about half an hour the ibis and then the black-tailed godwit flew to the left reed edge and fed closer but worked further and further away, to the back left corner. In the sun you could really catch the iridescence of the feathers on the ibis - I suppose that is where it got the 'glossy' moniker from. Thankfully the blackwit flew back to the near edge and I managed to catch a photo on the wing.
Time was getting on and after a long period of preening the glossy ibis eventually decided to fly but only at the back of the pool and to a position halfway along - no better for photographs. I talked with a few of the birders that passed by and as I did so a flock of swallows passed over the far end of the pool in strangely a northern direction.
I was back home before my wife and settled down ready for the coming week, it was looking like it was going to be another bust one.
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