The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Just as I was leaving Thurlby (16:30) after a mundane hour (2 LRP Briefly and 4 Oystercatcher) i spotted what I thought was a spoonbill flying high over the pool. On closer examination it had a bill just like an ibis. Just to confuse matters the bird was white with black trailing edges - didn't get the bill or leg colour other than to say they were black. The bird kept flying towards Newark.
Can anybody help with this description. Or does anyone know of a escaped White Ibis?

Sounds like a Sacred Ibis, which will either be a local escape or possibly a bird from the feral population on the Atlantic coast of France (which is Catagory C in France and potentially tickable as a 1st for Britain!). They are not that unusual in Britain though.

A Sacred Ibis flew south through Spurn at c9.45am this morning so likely to be the same bird

Chris

Yes I have just seen it on Bird Guides

Hi Chris,

FYI a Sacred Ibis was at Holme Pierrepont at 11.15 this morning so I would say without any doubt that was the same bird you saw.

Good bird pitty I wasn't there to see it.


Mark

Yes just seen it on BirdGuides Mark. It was a surprise when I first saw it and I prayed for it to land to no avail. It was soon out of view as I didn't notice it until it was virtually level with me and clear of Thurlby Lake. When I got home I looked at my guide books and on the internet but didn't find anything other than white ibis (from the caribbean) so thought this bird was likely to be an escapee. Paul French's reply made me look at the sacred and then it was bingo. Thanks to Chris Atkin, Paul French, Phil Espin at yourself for your replies