Shrikes Galore!

The news of a Brown Shrike at Flamborough Head the previous evening was the prompt needed to have a days birding on the east coast. Tony Disley, Bill Berry and I started out at 7, arrived just before 10 and parked the car in a field FULL of cars near the site. I was somewhat surprised to find John already there as he said he couldn't go on Thursday and Billy who should have been working (and had a change of heart)!

This was the site of a real mega-twitch with crowds of birders lining the road for a distant glimpse of the bird that had moved from the Old Fall hedge to one a little more problematical. I've got to say the local constabulary did a good job in cordoning off half the road for the birders. Thankfully, after half and hour's wait, the adult Brown Shrike appeared on the hedge alongside a juvenile Red-backed Shrike - it was a stunning bird even at distance with a completely different jizz to the Red-backed.

Once we'd had our fill we headed down to the Old Fall plantation where a few Yellow-browed Warblers and a Red-breasted Flycatcher proved rather elusive.

We headed off to get some lunch and decided that a trip to Spurn would be good - and it was! Three Red-breasted Flycatchers, including the first male I've ever seen, Yellow-browed Warbler, Great-grey Shrike, two Red-backed Shrikes as well as Spotted & Pied Flycatchers, Redstarts, Garden Warblers and Blackcaps. All in all a very pleasant day out with great birds a good weather!