Glossy Ibis

I found this solitary Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) in an irrigation pond near the Dos Pinos reservoir (Los Llanos de Aridane) this evening, July 19. The bird was feeding in the shallows.

There are previous records of this species on La Palma, including a couple of my own, but it is regarded as a vagrant or rare visitor.

"Rare Birds of the Canary Islands" (Eduardo García-del-Rey/Francisco Javier García Vargas, Lynx Edicions 2013) lists only 17 records for the whole of the Canaries, mostly of solitary birds, of which several made longish stopovers. 

Most sightings have been in September and October, but others include one from May 23 to July 17 2003 on El Hierro, one in March 2010 and another from July 6 to August 12 2008 on Tenerife, and two longish winter stopovers on Gran Canaria: one individual from Dec 23 2000 to March 16 2001, and two individuals from Dec 27 2003 to Feb 14 2004.

As always, it needs to be noted that the real figures may be considerably higher: many migrant bird species go unreported on the islands due to low numbers of serious birdwatchers and casual observers alike. The recent proliferation of independent recording sites doesn't help matters.

I found this individual in the irrigation pond shown below:

This is one of the few ponds in the area which has not fallen into disuse and subsequently dried out. Depending on varying water levels it may be suitable for birds accustomed to wading.

This Glossy Ibis (Pleagadis falcinellus) appears to be an adult from its blue lores. It is an extremely jittery individual, taking flight at the slightest sign of danger. It was present yesterday morning (20/07) and again today (21/07), when I managed to get the following images:

Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)

Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)