One Swallow does make a summer!

Saturday the 30th saw an afternoon visit to Goldcliff where I saw my first Swallow of the year. The Glossy Ibis made an appearance again and this time it showed a little closer. At one point it was wing stretching and calling which looked more like a display than a general stretch. Either way, this is a great bird to watch and is quite a character in its own right.

At 55-65cm in length with a wing span of 80-95cm and a weight of around 550-650g, they are a good sized-bird. The voice is a Crow like 'kra kra' call although they are mostly silent.  Aquatic insect larvae and aquatic animals form the bulk of their diet, and there must be adequate food around the Gwent Levels as this particular bird has been frequenting the area for over a month now.

The Glossy Ibis is found in its European breeding range between May and August, but individuals can turn up north and west of their normal range. They feed not necessarily close to roosting sites, so birds are often seen flying at dawn and dusk. They have a distinctive flight silhouette and from a distance they can look like a cross between a Curlew and a Heron. They stride through the shallow margins probing for food.

This particular bird appears to be a juvenile, but adult birds are unmistakable as well. They have a distinctive shape even if silhouetted, with a pinkish bill which is large and curved downwards. The head is large and even 'bulbous' in proportion to the neck. In flight, the characteristic shape shows the head and neck outstretched and the legs trailing behind the body. Non-breeding birds have pale streaks on their head and neck but breeding birds have a fine white line which runs from the base of the bill and around the eye.

The plumage is mostly a rich chestnut-maroon, although if the light is poor they can appear black. The iridescent colours in the feathers really show the bird off well in strong sunlight, showing off a mixture of greens and purple sheen's across the wings and the back.  I hope it stays for a while longer, it is certainly a heart-racing bird.

Pictures copyright N Davies @ecology_cymru and @naturewithnev