The Glossy Ibis at Warblington!

Hi birders! Have you in the UK heard about the Glossy Ibis near Warblington Church in Hampshire? Well if you haven't here's what's going on:

• There is a vagrant Glossy Ibis come to Britain.
• This is a bird that rarely ever occurs here.
• It lives usually in North America, along the Atlantic Coast.
• It can be found too in parts of Eastern Europe and in Africa and in Asia and in Australia. 
• You lucky foreigners! You get to see loads of Glossy Ibises! 
• It is very exiting for birders all over the UK.
•  There is twitchers coming from all over the place to see it including local Hampshire "bird-nerds" like me and people from really up North.

Well there you go. I am going to try to get down there soon to take photos. If you want to get down to see it, to state the obvious you need to know a bit about the Glossy Ibis. 

Glossy Ibis

photo of Glossy Ibis at Warblington
copyright Richard Fairbank. See Birding Never Sleeps.

These two photos are copyright
Jeff Goodridge. See The Financial Birder.

 The Glossy Ibis has a bill like a Whimbrel 's and long legs typical of large wading birds. The plumage is dark, but as the name suggests gives a glossy sheen, green on the wings and purple on the body.There is spotting behind the head and on the nape. I can't tell you much more than that because I have never seen, heard or even talked much about one in my life!