Sunday 6 October 2013

Showy shrike on Sheppey

Mark Stanley and I wandered down to Capel Fleet on Sheppey to see the lesser grey shrike discovered yesterday. It was a bit of a trek over the fields but there it was doing what shrikes do (flycatching from the top of a bush). We approached to within 200 metres of it but there was some heat haze as it was a beautiful sunny day. Watched it for a couple of hours and then came away.

We didn't have a Great grey shrike to compare the size with but the stubby bill was very obvious.
Lesser grey shrike