SCILLYSPIDER: Glossy Ibis at Porth Hellick

Friday, 24 May 2019

Glossy Ibis at Porth Hellick

Glossy Ibis showing off in front the Sussex Hide at Porth Hellick

At 10.00 this morning, I had just left Porth Hellick and all I had seen of note were a Cuckoo and the Cetti's Warbler and a pair of mating Eyed Hawkmoth,. Some fifteen minuites later, Dave Dimmock had the Glossy Ibis (that's been on Tresco Simpsons Field since it was first found by Pam Montrose two dasys ago) at Porth Hellick. I had already seen this bird briefly in flight east low over airport lane later on in the afternoon on the day it was first found. Dispite a few of us searching for it that evening there was no sign and the following day it was back on Tresco Simpsons Field.
Today, I had to wait until 12.00 when I had twenty minutes off work to rush down and see it. However, it was on the second visit, when Jo joined me and we both got cracking views as it performed feeding only a few meters in front the hide.

This is only my third Scilly Glossy Ibis. As there were a flock of eight over the winter and singles last year, it was not such a great importace for many birders to see this indervidual as it was less than ten years ago when it was almost a mega on Scilly.

Mating pair of Eyed Hawkmoth at Porth Hellick

This Grey Heron is feasting on the Eels at Porth Hellick

Whitethroat singing at Salkee

Stonechat

Yesterday evening Scott Reid observed some 6 Minkie and a Fin Whale, Pomarine and Great Skua off Porth Hellick Down as well as the Red-footed Falcon. After work, Jo and I joined up with the small crowd and in the calm waters we manged to get scope views of at 4 Minkie Whale with 100s of Manx Shearwater. This was followed by magic views of the obliging Red-footed Falcon only meters away from where we were watching the whales from!