Wednesday 7 October 2020

Second try to photograph the Steppe Grey Shrike

On Wednesday 7 October, at 4pm I parked again at Kessingland Caravan park and walked through although no sign of the GGS Shrike on the levels by the JVC digger, it wasn't showing as I walked past. Likewise for the SGS viewing from the cliff top, I was staring into the sun, so I took the track leading inland from Beach farm. 3 birders were intently staring at the bush line running south past 2 pillboxes either side. Trouble was that they were too far away to ask and when I saw a female Sparrowhawk fly down the line of bushes, I feared the worst and they immediately turned and started walking back down the road and inland, I couldn't ask them if they had seen the Shrike fly off, hide up or been caught by the Hawk? I went back to the cliff top and viewing from a safe area, I still couldn't see the Shrike, so again I went back inland. This time I heard a familiar voice greet me, and ace field birder, James B turned up and another birder was there too. Immediatelt, James B called a calling Lapland Bunting that flew north west over a field, a heavier bunting seen, a great spot! 10 Redpolls were also calling flew south too. Matthew D then arrived and informed us he had bumped into the birders as they were walking back along the track and the Shrike had flown up high and flown north. Armed with this info, we walked north along the back of Benacre Pit and at 5.28pm, Matthew D brilliantly relocated the superb Steppe Grey Shrike just on top of some bushes at the back of the Pit, bordering the field to the west (where the GGS had been seen on Monday). A more buff tinged grey bird with noticably horn coloured (ie. not black bill as in GGS). It stayed here for a while and the best views were had standing just inside the field (just west of the pillbox) to the south west of the bird, where I managed to obrtain the following shot (see below), tricky light conditions so I had to use an exposure of +1. After 20 minutes it hopped and sat on top of the bush for a further 5 minutes before it flew up and flew over the thicket/ large area of scrub to the south west of the pit presumably flying ack to its favoured area. On the Pit, 2 Little Grebe were seen constantly diving. A flock of 12 Linnet were seen also. Mission accomplished, reasonably pleased with the record shot obtained, albeit in difficult light.