Monday 26 October 2020

Brown Shrike

 For the first time since 2016, more was happening at home than was happening on Scilly. The Masked Shrike, Two-barred Greenish and Taiga Flycatcher would all have been ticks, but predictably moved on before I got home. The Brown Shrike did the decent thing and even stuck around long enough for me to put in a week's work before heading up to Holy Island.

On show immediately when I got there at first light, hunting prey from a barbed-wire fence. Initially pretty close in the early half-light, but moved further down the fence line presumably taking insects around a herd of Roe Deer.

Brown Shrike


Shrike and Roe Deer

Roe Deer


With limited time before the tide cut me off, I headed south, first stop Budle Bay where a Green-winged Teal was feeding distantly with Teal. Not a very well marked bird, presumably just coming out of eclipse. Also here were several hundred Barnacle Geese, good numbers of Shoveler and a flock of 9 Little Egret.

Green-winged Teal

A quick look at Boulmer confirmed that the Desert Wheatear had moved on.

A bit of a wait at the picturesque power station at Lynmouth gave scope views of the Hoopoe.

Lovely

Last stop was at Longhirst Flash for more distant scope views. This time for 6 Tundra Bean Geese.

Not a bad trip out.



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