With a Great Grey Shrike being reported from Beeding Brooks, just 20 minutes from home, it seemed a good idea to go investigate. I have a 100% record this year, when looking for Shrikes 5 from 5 attempts so was full of confidence! Saturday morning's pea-souper foggy conditions did put a bit of a dent in my optimism as I set off along the riverside path. It was a good mile or so to the Shrike area so hoped that on arrival the fog would have lifted a bit as predicted on the weather forecast!
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| A Magpie in the Fog, A Grey bird should stand out like a sore thumb! |
Another Birder, caught me up and we headed on together, maybe because of the fog, or my well documented Ninja like abilities we managed to get quite close to a Kingfisher that was minding it's own business in a riverside bush!
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| Kingfisher |
We reached the site of the GGS reports, there were a couple of Birders already in position, but no sign so far, this wasn't a big surprise as the fog was pretty dense. Was also quite strange as to why Birdguides was telling everyone to go up the East side of the river, rather than the West side that the bird was on?? Bit weird !! So spent the next hour or so scanning the various hedges and bushes that we could see, happily stringing many sightings into the bird.! I saw a Great Grey Redwing, a couple of Great Grey Blackbirds, several Great Grey funny shaped branches, none of which materialised into the real deal!!
Birders drifted off, with just two of us remaining, eventually I decided to mooch on up the river, in case the bird had relocated! Oh I forgot to mention the whole time this was going on, we were completely surrounded by huge Bovines, proving conclusively that I have completely conquered my totally rational fear of such beasts, who kill more people every year than sharks!! Though I don't suppose they meet many Sharks, Boom Boom!! Old ones are the best!! 😁
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| Large Bovine! Just feet away |
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| Great Grey Redwing |
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| Couple of Yellowhammers |
I headed up stream, the fog began to clear, a family of Swans were on the river, saw a few Meadow Pipits, couple of Stonechats, a flock of Goldfinch, some Skylark,one of whom in a brief moment of Sunshine had a sing, and a Kestrel, no Shrikes!
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| Mute Swan |
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| Autumnal Colours |
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| Goldfinch |
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| Goldfinch |
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| Stonechat |
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| Nice coloured snail, hard to see in the pic but was a living snail, crossing the path, had to wait for ages😉!! |
I ploughed on, still no Shrike!! Don't forget Dogged Determination is my middle name, not sure what my parents were thinking about to be honest!😂 I had now walked so far I had hit the bridge across the river on the "Downs Link" footpath. I know bloody mental, especially with the current state of me knees and in Wellies!!!!
I decided to cross the river and return along the far bank. A quick check on Birdguides revealed the Shrike had been seen, about 15 mins after I'd left!! Denied!!!!! With the fog gone and me all thermalled up I was getting decidedly warm, I added my hat to my already full pockets. (may seem a bit random but it could be important info later on!!) and commenced a route march back!
As I headed back along the river,a Kestrel posed well, a Green Sandpiper flew over and as I neared the Shrike area a couple of Sparrowhawks sat on the fence!! Unusual to see two together one an adult Male and by size comparison a juvenile Male, Father and Son perhaps!!
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| Kestrel |
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| Adult male on the left similar sized bird on the right, so thinking juvenile male. |
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| Flyover Raven |
You will note from the pics that the fog had returned, though visibility was still fairly good, there was no one else present so I began to scan, no sign! At this point I discovered that I'd lost my hat!!! (see told you the earlier seemingly pointless information would come in handy!!) Now I was approximately 2 miles from where I'd took me hat off. I retraced my steps for a bout 100 yards no sign!! Laziness and aching bones took over and I sensibly decided to let it go, it's Christmas soon and I'm bound to get a hat, I usually do, hence having several spare hats at home so no worries, so even though it was one of me favourite hats I decided to resume the Shrike hunt!! Still no sign!! Other Birders turned up, some with scopes, distant bushes were scanned, grey dots were discounted, a farmer came down the track in a 4x4, as he opened the gate, I asked him if he'd seen a hat, he had!! But had failed to pick it up!! Noooooo!! denied again! However he said it wasn't that far, so I set off in pursuit!!! Another blooming half mile later I had retrieved my hat!! Result! I headed back to the Shrike hunt another Kestrel posed well and a Swan flew by!!
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| Kestrel |
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| Presume the tail is growing back after Moulting |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Mute Swan |
I hung around for another couple of hours, but it was a no show!! As far as I'm aware it wasn't seen again after the morning sighting which apparently was quite distant, so maybe moved on or possibly a snack for a Sparrowhawk!! I trudged back to the car, through yet another herd of cows!! So Brave!! No sightings of note on the way back!! 18678 steps walked, which apparently is 8 miles!!! Zero Shrikes seen!! Not a bad walk though, nice to see a Kingfisher and I reckon the old birding Gods owe me one now!!!
