Above: Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus  (Photo Julie Cuthbert)

It has long been a mission of mine to see a Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus). My fascination with these beautiful long-curved-beaked birds, perched on elegant stilt legs, began when I was at school studying Egyptology for my O level art. Their God, Thoth, was given the head of the Sacred African Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) and they became a revered symbol throughout this period. This Ibis had a matt black head and white body, whereas the Glossy Ibis I was more likely to see in the UK is predominantly glossy black with tones of iridescent greens, bronze and burgundy which shimmer when they catch the light like petrol on water.

The Glossy Ibis is widespread throughout the world but the ones visiting us would most likely have travelled from Europe. They began visiting the Uk in 2000 and I have made several unsuccessful attempts to catch a glimpse of them in Somerset and Norfolk where they had been reported until I eventually caught a distant view of one on private land in Norfolk through a fence. On another occasion Rob and I followed a flying bird that we believed to be an Ibis along roads in Thetford until it turned and flew across territory where a car could not cross. This was very disappointing as the chase was fun and quite exciting.

Then, a couple of years ago, we saw one at Floodplain Forest in Milton Keynes which was a little closer but still too far away to photograph in detail. Finally this November my mission was completed and we drove to Summer Leys Nature Reserve, after a tip-off from Martine Harvey. We were so lucky as there were three, one adult and two juveniles feeding just in front of the hide. It was a dull autumn day so their colours did not shine but it was still really fabulous to observe them close up feeding, squabbling and flying in a lovely natural setting.

The mild autumn has kept our garden flowers blooming and we are still enjoying bumble bees and the ocassional butterfly. It was also really lovely to see this Hummingbird Hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum) feeding on our Salvia in mid October.

Hummingbird Hawk-moth (Photo © Julie Cuthbert)

Julie Cuthbert
December 2025