Great Grey Shrike and Temminck's Stint

Saturday 24th February 2007

I made an early start this morning for the Great Grey Shrike near Cannop, and got straight on it obligingly sat on top of a tree. After posing for a bit, it flew towards where I was standing on the track and perched in a tree overhead before flying back out to the clear-fell area to perch on a more distant tree. The Goosanders are still on the lake at Cannop Wharf, and a Little Grebe, also a Siskin near the feeders. It was then back home to do my chores - lay some flooring in my new utility room. I finised that in time to head back out, this time to Slimbridge, where an unseasonal Temminck's Stint was on the Tack Piece, also five Little Stints and c400 Dunlin and the Tundra Bean Goose with the White-fronted Geese, and 77 Bewick's Swans. The waders where never settled for long, but I managed to re-locate the Temminck's a few times. Finally all the waders went up at around 14:40 and it peeled off and flew past the Holden Tower on it's own. A Buzzard was not helping, and a Peregrine eventually settled among the floods and everything was then keeping it's distance. A Yellow-legged Gull and a Raven on the Dumbles, and the Great Skua on the river completed an excellent day's birding (photos: Paul Masters).









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