A taste of success!

If you have been following closely, you might understand how desperate I have been since the discovery of two Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) in late March. Their whereabouts is a mystery to me. Luck was away from me when I spent two days in Long Valley and Nam Sang Wai. The latest news showed that they were in Tai Sang Wai. Judging from the name, one can be sure how Nam Sang Wai and Tai Sang Wai are related.

In that morning, only light drizzle prevailed, so I could keep my umbrella in my rucksack. But as I got off the van, I had to run for cover from the worsening sky conditions. Soon, the fishponds and fields were enshrouded by dark clouds up above. But I was not unprepared. Umbrella proved rather inconvenient for birding. That was why I brought my raincoat. And my camera and lens were waterproofed in an improvised manner.

Finally seeing the Glossy Ibis

The rain was heavy but did not deter my motivation to find both Ibis. I could have reached the field if I had topped up my Octopus Card earlier. I had to find a Circle K or 7-11 to top up my Octopus Card. After messing with the Octopus Card, I headed for the minibus.

Two Chinese Pond Heron (Ardeola bacchus) stood beside the Ibis, providing size comparison. The two heron might have never realised how famous their new neighbours are among Hong Kong's birders.

Size comparison with Chinese Pond Heron

Glossy Ibis in Tai Sang Wai

The two Glossy Ibis were not afraid of my presence. I was able to approach them slowly. But as the wind got more ferocious, they took off and landed on the top of a Red Kapok (Bombax ceiba).

Glossy Ibis in flight

Glossy Ibis on Red Kapok tree

Non-stop raining meant that I could not wait for them to land on the field. Standing in the middle of an open rural area under thunderstorm is surely not a recommended practice by my insurance company. A Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) stood on a floating hose on the nearby fish pond.

Little Egret

Other birds were also seen there, including Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) and White-shouldered Starling (Sturnia sinensis).

As I was leaving, it rained more heavily. I discovered my wallet was soaked with a few banknotes hanging like wet drapes. Luckily, credit card and ID card were intact. And most importantly, I have seen the two rare Glossy Ibis.