A patch tick for me today in the form of a Great Grey Shrike, I missed the last
one in 2002 on Lollingdon hill as I was out of the county at the time.
I decided to walk out to Lollingdon as it had been raining
for the past two days and needed to get out. The footpaths were very damp and muddy;
some were ankle deep in water.
I got out to
Lollingdon and rather than walk out via Aston I turned back and headed back
towards Cholsey, thinking of getting back to the Bullshole and then out to the
Lees. A few hundred metres back a Great Grey Shrike flew up on to the hedgerow
in front of me, I think it was as surprised as I was and it then flew off down
the hedge. I tried to get a couple of photos but it was too distant so I tried
to close on it but it was very flighty and eventually flew across the fields
and settled in a tree even further away. I could not cross the field, as it was
flooded so I had to go back the way I came, in the mean time making a few phone
calls.
Halfway back I noticed the bird had left the tree and was
nowhere in sight I continued to look and was joined by Brian Wyatt and a couple
of other birders later but no luck, very frustrating not to have got a photo
but enjoyed seeing the bird.Grid ref of first sighting was SU864575.
The fields and the footpaths in the area are very soggy and
muddy so if anyone thinking of looking tomorrow please ensure you have good
footwear and keep to the public paths please.
A lot of Fieldfare
and Redwing in the area and twenty
plus Pied Wagtail on a flooded field
and a couple of Common Snipe.
Around fifty Lesser
Blackback and Black-headed Gull
and two Common Gull noted along with
two Lapwing flocks, one of twenty
three and another of fifty plus.
Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Buzzard and Red Kite all
seen, also a Peregrine seen distantly that put up a lot of gulls and corvids near Aston Tirrold.Song Thrush and Coal Tit singing along Church rd today in the sunshine.
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