Glossy Ibis going to roost at Dungeness RSPB

The new Lighthouse at Dungeness point

Carrion crow on the wire just before Ibis flight

No light- but a reasonable record of a female Marsh harrier from some distance

Two Glossy Ibis's have been loyal to the wetlands at the main entrance to Dungeness RSPB for so long now, that even lazy birdwatchers like myself have finally got around to seeing them.

Standing in the middle of hailstorm, the sun already set and temperatures just over freezing, I watched the birds quickly move to a favoured roosting spot. These rare visitors to the UK were originally part of a mini-autumn invasion of about a dozen birds, and should really be in a traditional West African wetland for the winter. However, such is the mildness of our Autumn, (just one frost so far) that these birds are happily finding fish and amphibians in the Dungeness wetland and seemingly comfortably suriving the winter.
Dramatic and fast changing weather meant there was a possibility of photographing the birds against a golden sunset. Sadly and bizarely, I was caught in the hail shower - so we will have to wait another night for that kind of shot.



Dramatic Dungeness Sunset, but no Ibis yet!


And here they finally are, on their way to roost


Preparing to roost within seconds of leaving their grazing field -the two Glossy Ibis's

An all to brief but exciting view - I'm happy to have a few snaps to end the year with.