HERTS MEGA - 5.11.13

 

2 record shots of the Mega Ibis

 

Remember remember the 5th of November is the old saying and I shall remember it now as just after lunch news broke of a Glossy Ibis in Herts! 2 years ago Steve Blake witnessed one at Tyttenhanger GP's briefly before it disappeared and a couple of days ago Andrew Steele briefly saw one at the same site before it too headed off. Late morning today and what is most certainly the same bird was re-found but frustratingly just over the county border in Essex. Thankfully it flew off and was discovered at Rye Meads RSPB reserve near Hoddesdon. So I headed that way straight from work and arrived on site fairly quickly. Inside the Lapwing hide were Joan Thompson, Ian Williams and Jason Ward (nice to have finally met you). Luckily the bird was still on show and I soon had it in my scope and on my list. The juvenile bird was the first ever twitchable in Herts and only the second in the county since 1887! So a true Mega. Just then Dominic Mitchell (editor of Birdwatch Magazine fame) entered the hide and got an eyeful of ibis through my scope! It also became my 200th species for the year (at last!).