Andalucian Ibis in Essex

With too much time spent inside this week, and with the Mediterranean style weather, it was time to convert that into some bird action. So with school out, I whacked it up the A12 to Baddow Meads near Chelmsford, Essex, and shared a lovely couple of hours with my Iberian friend, ringed 8J9. Nobody else present - just me and a Glossy Ibis in the sun. Happy days.

So what's the deal with 8J9? Well, predictably it comes from Spain - ringed as a chick at El Rocio, Coto Donana, on 7th May 2007. It was still in the area three years later, being seen near Huelva (just 45km from where it was ringed) on 2nd April 2010. Next sighting wasn't until early 2012 at Borth, Ceredigion, from 2nd to 25th February, before heading straight through Britain to Heybridge, Essex, from to 16th March... and then appearing at this site on 24th March.