While watching the Black-faced Bunting in East Yorkshire on Wednesday, news broke of a Brown Shrike at Upper Hollesley in Suffolk. This is a bird I had failed to connect with on two previous occasions. The first was in 2013 at Hook-with Warsash in Hampshire, and the second in 2019 at Great Cowden in East Yorkshire. Could this be the opportunity to finally see one? Understandably, Brian didn't want to divert from the drive home, and the weather forecast for the following day was dreadful, with high winds and rain expected for most of the day, definitely not ideal weather for shrikes. Unsurprisingly, the shrike was not reported all day. Just after 9 a.m. this morning, I received the news I had hoped for: the shrike was still present! Brian had an M.O.T. on his car and was waiting in the garage when I phoned him. "The shrike is still there, do you fancy going"? The car passed, and Brian agreed to the trip. We met at 10.15 am and arrived shortly before midday.
Birders were spread out in different areas around what would turn out to be the birds' favoured feeding area of the common. Having joined the main group, we were told that it was mobile but showed regularly. We didn't have to wait very long before the shrike appeared low down in a bramble bush, and I had finally seen a Brown Shrike.
Surprisingly, it's also a first record for Suffolk
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| Brown Shrike |
The Brown Shrike (Lanius Cristatus) breeds from eastern Siberia to Northwestern Mongolia. It winters in Southeast Asia and South Asia, including India, Myanmar, and the Malay Peninsula.
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