Yesterday at work had a phone call from a friend in Hambridge to ask 'what's grey , black and white ,slim and medium sized'? He'd just passed a bird sitting on top of a hedge in Hundry lane , Hambridge , (signposted to Isle Brewers from centre of Hambridge). Checked it out this morning with Alick Simmons and Andy Grinter and there is a Shrike there ranging around the hedgerows - park in gravel store lay-by, walk down lane towards the copse on the left and has been in field hedges on the right hand side - all viewable from lane but no footpaths around any of those fields. Quite mobile flying several hundred yards at a time.
Shrike still there this morning. In its usual place diagonally opposite the gate next to the gravel layby - half an hour scanning the hedges all around and then it just appears from nowhere - how does a bird that colour which perches prominently just vanish !
Great Grey shrike showing well this morning at 8:30am was perched on telephone wires which cross the fields opposite the large lay-by, about 100yds down the lane towards the copse. I watched it for at least 20mins before it dropped down into the field.
Sounds like the Shrike is still around - speaking to Mother-in-law yesterday pm , ( I do occasionally!) , was asked ,"does that bird of yours have quite a long tail when it flies and looks a bit like a small Magpie"? When I said yes she told me it has been in her garden twice in the last 3 days viewable from her kitchen ,overlooking her bird table, sitting in the top of her (very) overgrown shrubbery. Her house is the nearest one to the left from where people have been looking , along the back lane opposite the copse.(the first day we saw it , it twice landed in an Ash tree at the top of her orchard).
P.S. Happy Christmas !
Has been reported on Twitter a couple of times and today on Birdguides , around about 2pm both times - but others have been saying it is elusive and far from being an easy New Year tick! Have a happy and healthy year...
20-Jan-14
No sign this afternoon between 14:30 and 16:00, searching from gates at each end of large tarmaced lay-by and fields on both sides of the lane walking as far as the copse on LH side. also scanned the dead oak and area around the lone house up the side lane opposite the copse. Of note, was a feeding flock of c.180 Greenfinches, sometimes all perching together on overhead wires.
Note: A372 was closed due flooding between Othery and Aller/Langport, so if coming from Walton/Ashcott best to take the minor Nythe Road from Pedwell to High Ham/Langport.
23-Jan-14
And seen by Kay and me, after an hour of searching, when located by Barry Widden perched on top of a distant hedgerow looking NW from the large lay-by at 13:58 hrs. It only sat around for 5 minutes before flying low to the right and disappearing from view.