A "Very Nice" Day!

Flock of 29 Little egrets, taken by Olivier Seys.

Tought I'd better use the superior photos of Nicholas Galea and Oliver Seys this time :).
Note the dangling leg on one of the glossy ibis on the top left part of the flock.

My sister, another young birder and me popped into Ghadira at the crack of dawn before meeting up with three other young birders, one of them a Belgian guy and whose favourite phrase I've used in the title :).

Three Grey herons flying down into the reserve, the first signs of migration movement of the day, a Little egret plus the usual waders with a larger number of Little Stints. My first Common whitethroat of the year, and even better a Savi's warbler caught by a ringer just before we left...my sixth lifer in a week!

On boarding the ferry for a small island, Comino, between Gozo and Malta free of hunting and bird and birding paradise, some 8 Marsh harriers and yet another highlight 6 Great white egrets flying throught the channel.

On nearing our destination we spotted 29 Little egrets resting on the rocky shore flying up as we approached only to settle again in a cloud of white wings. Later in the day another 4 and 37 Little egrets were seen.

As we started walking another few Marsh harriers and a Grey heron. Passerines weren't the most evident, and well its still quite early. Got a few good birds though, a beautiful Black-eared wheatear, some 8 Northern wheatears, 4 Whinchats, a male Common Redstart, several Nightingales (good passage this spring), and two Hoopoes, female Semi-collared and male Collared flycatcher as well as some 6 Wrynecks.

Moreover a flock of 9 Common cranes flying over north of Malta and a good sighting for this time of year altoguh nothing compared to the 65 seen on Saturday. Shortly after 17 Grey herons in V-formation against the clouded sky.
Spent quite some time dosing off in the shade everyone a bit tired, and a walk afterwards did not produce much, but a late Skylark was good. The star species of the day was still to come! On walking to the ferry some one spotted a flock of large birds flying overhead. 19 Suberp Glossy Ibises! A lifer that i had aimed and hoped to get this spring and I did! What's more another flock of 21 from the ferry. Possibly had been one flock but seperated due to being shot at, one of the
birds having a dangling leg.

3 Cory's shearwater shearing the waves ended the Comino adventure with just over 40 species, for now...we'll be back and soon!

To add to the memorable day there was an Avocet paying a visit and being a scarce and magnificent bird wasn't to be missed.