Shrike while the irons....
This aint no upwardly mobile freeway, oh no, this is the road to Hull. I really don't know how these twitchers do it, coursing (and cursing) up and down the country, negotiating traffic and nerves. Must be adrenaline or madness. So in my madness, I wangled a day off, stole a car, and headed to Spurn.
Now according to the good book, God rested on the seventh day, but thankfully (and taking full advantage of my lightning reactions) I connected with the juvenile MASKED SHRIKE (present for its 7th day) that had been re-identified last Saturday while I was in Norfolk. Masked Shrike.... whatever, I exclaimed. Whatever my arse.
Was gutted not to have connected with it earlier but with gratitude and luck and timing and stars aligning, I made it to the site. The bird was seen so very well in it's preferred location in a big field, cocking it's tail like a Nightingale, flitting along the metal fenceline like a chat, and catching insects, well, like a Shrike. A delightful bird, my second for the WP.
Thank goodness I forgot the memory card for my camera. Wasn't pissed off in the slightest.
Did I mention anything about the journey? The A1(M) has to be one of the most depressing roads in Britain. I'm right now craving the tube - to me it feels like space travel by comparison.
Also seen today, a bobbing Jack Snipe on Canal Scrape, and eight Tree Sparrow flew past over the triangle. It was generally very quiet birdwise.
At Kilnsea Wetlands a Little Stint was feeding alongside seven Dunlin, a male Stonechat was present as were 45 Wigeon.
Sleepy time.
Now according to the good book, God rested on the seventh day, but thankfully (and taking full advantage of my lightning reactions) I connected with the juvenile MASKED SHRIKE (present for its 7th day) that had been re-identified last Saturday while I was in Norfolk. Masked Shrike.... whatever, I exclaimed. Whatever my arse.
Was gutted not to have connected with it earlier but with gratitude and luck and timing and stars aligning, I made it to the site. The bird was seen so very well in it's preferred location in a big field, cocking it's tail like a Nightingale, flitting along the metal fenceline like a chat, and catching insects, well, like a Shrike. A delightful bird, my second for the WP.
Thank goodness I forgot the memory card for my camera. Wasn't pissed off in the slightest.
Did I mention anything about the journey? The A1(M) has to be one of the most depressing roads in Britain. I'm right now craving the tube - to me it feels like space travel by comparison.
Also seen today, a bobbing Jack Snipe on Canal Scrape, and eight Tree Sparrow flew past over the triangle. It was generally very quiet birdwise.
At Kilnsea Wetlands a Little Stint was feeding alongside seven Dunlin, a male Stonechat was present as were 45 Wigeon.
Sleepy time.
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