On June 27th, a Red-tailed Shrike was found at Bempton Cliffs. The finder photographed it before it soon took flight, and although he managed to relocate it shortly afterward, it was soon lost to view and not seen again that evening. The next morning, a husband and wife were walking the rough track off Cliff Lane and managed to refind the Shrike!
Since the evening of the 29th, it has been seen regularly at Wandale Farm, a short distance away. Access to the farm has since been arranged for £10 per person.
We arranged to meet at 2 a.m. this morning, and while parked outside Brian's house, I heard a Tawny Owl calling. It is a welcome, if late, addition to the year list.
It should have been a 220-mile four-hour drive to Bempton, but overnight road closures along the A1 and M62 meant it took almost five hours before we arrived at Bempton. Brian dropped Dad and me off opposite the rough track along Cliff Lane and headed towards Wandale Farm. We walked up the track and around the side of the buildings to find the Shrike perched up in nearby bushes immediately. Brian soon joined us and after each of us paid the £10 entrance fee, we enjoyed close views of the bird for the entire time we were on site.
These shrikes are normally found in southern Siberia to central Asia and winter in North Africa and Southern India. There are two subspecies lumped together and known as Isabelline Shrike. Both are very similar however, the people who decide on such matters have declared that the two subspecies are in fact separate species in their own right, with one being known as Daurian and the other Turkestan/Red-tailed Shrike. The Turkestan/Red-tailed Shrike is the much rarer of the two species.
A Red-tailed Shrike was reported at Hargen aan Zee in the North of the Netherlands, and it is thought that the bird at Bempton is the same bird.
After enjoying some stunning views of the shrike we headed up the grass track and onto the RSPB reserve at Bempton. We spent a few hours leisurely viewing the cliffs and enjoyed stunning views of Razorbill, Guillemot, Gannet, Kittiwake, Fulmar Shag, and Puffins. We failed to find the Albatross, although it was seen loafing on the sea near Flamborough Head from one of the seabird boat cruises during the day however, it wasn't reported at all while we were on site.
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| View from the "New Roll-Up" platform |
