A bright but cold morning saw Alan Shorrock and I taking a stroll around a frost whitened Stanwick Lakes. Half a dozen Cattle Egrets and a couple of Glossy Ibis were reported yesterday and it was these that we most wanted to see. Having parked in the A45 lay-by we began at the nearby pit where light conditions were excellent.
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| Glossy Ibis with Cattle Egrets, I struggled to get both ibises in one shot. |
We didn't find much to begin with, Water Rails were vocal and we heard Siskins while winter thrushes were feasting on the many haws. At the Main Lake another birder alerted us to the presence of the two Glossy Ibises that were with the six Cattle Egrets giving things quite a Mediterranean look even if it didn't feel like it! The birds were fairly distant and we only managed a few record shots before some nearby shooting activity scared the birds off. They flew in the direction of the North Lake and Shozzer and I set off in leisurely pursuit.
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| Cattle Egrets |
Distant views of both the egrets and the ibises were had but the birds had moved on by the time we got round to the other side of the lake. I picked up a bit of a bonus when I found a Water Rail while scanning for the Glossies. One pleasant surprise in this area was a male Common Darter which had survived the overnight frost to bask in the sunshine. Having completed a circuit of the North Lake we returned to the Main Lake where the half dozen Cattle Egrets were feeding though there was no sign of the ibises. Once the egrets had moved on we set off for the car hearing several Chiffchaffs on the way. Our day concluded with a pint in the Dukes at Woodford, always a nice way of bringing things to a close.
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| Common Darter |
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