7 October 2023 - Hollingworth Lake, Clegg Hall Fields
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After a long but rather uneventful walk around the lake and home via Shaw Moss, I was just in the middle of sorting through some old bird photos when a message came through on WhatsApp from Pat Culkin to say he'd just seen a Glossy Ibis flying East from Shaw Moss. Andrew suggested that it might be worth checking Clegg Hall fields, and shortly afterwards as I was in the middle of making a rather late lunch, I received a phone call from Andrew to say the Glossy Ibis was indeed on view at Clegg Hall Marsh, viewable from Branch Road.
I finished making lunch (putting mine to one side for later!) and jumped on my bike to head over that way. It was a rather warm and sweaty journey and when I arrived at Branch Road, nobody was to be seen. I scanned the fields and spotted the Ibis in a distant field with some horses. Being on my bike, the camera was in my backpack, so I decided to get the camera out and hopefully get a record shot before deciding what to do next. Unfortunately when I looked up, all the other birds were in the air, and the ibis was nowhere to be seen!. A quick call to Andrew who was further down Branch Road revealed it had taken flight with the other birds, flown overhead and headed towards Shaw Moss. We headed over that way, but there was no sign, so I decided to head back to Wildhouse Lane to look over the fields again. On the way back a nice Kestrel perched up on the wires in the sunshine, which delayed me a little. After a few minutes back on the road, I was scanning the fields when suddenly the Ibis flew into my field of view, circled over the grass a couple of times and then landed. I wasn't sure where it had landed (I was watching with the naked eye as I tried to get my camera out again), but shortly afterwards I located it standing towards the back of the closest field with a herd of cows.
I took a couple of distant record shots and then, while alerting others that it was back, it took flight again and began to circle. Luckily at one point it came right over the road and I managed to get some decent flight shots. It appeared to drop down again in the vicinity of Shaw Moss, so I let Steve Atkins know (who hadn't yet seen it), and headed that way. Again no sign, so I went back to Wildhouse Lane and relocated it distantly in the original field where Andrew had first picked it up. I managed to get Steve and Will onto it, and phoned Simon who was on the way back from Manchester. This time it remained settled (though distant) so everyone including Simon was able to get onto it. (Phew!). Eventually I had to leave, and the following day there was no sign.
Glossy Ibis , 1/640 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 320
Glossy Ibis , 1/2000 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 500 (view full size image)
Glossy Ibis , 1/2000 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 320
Kestrel , 1/640 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 100
Kestrel, 1/640 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 125