Thursday 25 September 2008

Brown Shrike

As I was getting ready for work last night I got a text telling me of the first Brown Shrike for mainland Britain. At flam. It was too late to go there and then but I was bricking it hoping it would stick. The only thing to do was to stick the scope in the car and hope. Night shift dragged and I was away at 7.15 headed for old fall. The bird was playing hard to get, with only a Red-back Shrike juv showing on arrival. Somebody made a right good call with it sat in shade and bang -ther was a distant adult male Brown Shrike in my scope turning its head so the sun caught its super and mask. Woohoo! 2 Shrike field.

The twitch was very busy with the great and the good turning up en masse. Saw a couple of familiar faces down there but missed most of the Bf boys - only Schiffornis (Andy) in passing. The bizzies decided to close half the road as mental drivers nearly killed half the UK400 club. In all the commotion I decided to have a wander down to old fall for some YB action. Not to be dissapointed between 4-10 of these beauties kept leaping into my bins and then out. Again. Kertick (year). A brief view in the middle of the plantation of the juv RB Fly was a bit sexy as was the flyover of a few Lapland Buntings. Missed the Dick's Pipit but I was shattered.

Headed back up to the shrike for second helpings and it showed beautifully if at a mental distance, feeding vigourously on the hedge at the far end of the field next to the golf course. Very happy. Plus with all the other megas going off between 11 and 1 all I can hear in my head is RBA mega alerts.

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