A Windy Walk

Having conducted a little research into a nearby special migrant , the plan for saturday was to head to Black Hill near Clun in search of the Great Grey Shrike, I sent a few emails sent out for further details and directions and many thanks must go to Kris Webb @ http://scillyspider.blogspot.com/ and Bill Nevett @ http://www.shropshire-freelance-photographer.com/ who both got back to me really quickly with such detailed instructions! So again thank you both they were spot on!

We eventually found the Forestry commission site narrowly avoiding a meeting with an artic full of wood at Black Hill , which I must say is also in the middle of nowhere, and located up some rather narrow and steep hills. We had to wait for a good 20 mins as another torrential rain storm come in from the surrounding hills, only made more bare-able by several Buzzards soaring in the valley below. Once subsided and we had wrapped up for the strong gale force winds we headed up to the clear-fell area as instructed, one whole complete circuit at a very slow pace scanning regularly with the Bino's revealed nothing, so we headed back into the trees ready for another lap. When a raucous chorus over head revealed 6 Crossbill flying in to land in the Pine tree to the side of us, a first for me having never seen one before. Typically this also happened to be at the same time the sun was hiding behind the Tree, casting a Crossbill shaped silhouette on the upper branches. A steady bit of maneuvering and I repositioned myself on the opposite side of the Tree and managed to get a couple of clearish shots off. 

Common Crossbill Male

Common Crossbill Female

Common Crossbill Male

Common Crossbill Male

And then as suddenly as they had arrived they disappeared, by this stage I was feeling a little better, and Nat reassured me that it hadn't been a completely wasted journey.  So we set off for another lap of the clear-fell area, not confident of spotting the Shrike, hopes raised every now and then as a passing Raven caught my eye. Having reached the far side of the Clear-fell and having to duck inside the Pines as another shower hit, I glimpsed a greyish bird leave the shelter of the trees to the small clump of firs on the edge of the clear-fell 100 yards infront, having not seen a Wood Pigeon all morning and with the Jay like flight pattern it took, my interest was instantly enthused. With the shower reduced to the odd drop on the wind we headed down to the edge of the firs, sitting ourselves down on the path-side tree stumps, when out of the Firs flew the Great Grey Shrike - landing 30 ft away on the branch of a dead tree surprising me with its size and flight - I was expecting something a little smaller, and not to fly a bit like a Woodpecker, none the less - a cracking bird!

Great Grey Shrike

Great Grey Shrike

Now I know I shouldn't moan, but why did the sun have to be behind the bird at this precise moment in my life?? What could have been such a promising photo turned into a silhouette. We watched the Shrike fly from branch to branch across the area for a good 10 minutes before disappearing into the depths of the Fir trees again.

5 mins earlier and we would have missed it and gone home peeved, so one shouldn't complain to much! My first Shrike of any kind as well as the Crossbills. Cracking!