Long-tailed Shrike ( lifer ) Oxfordshire.

I think I left it too late to tick this Shrike, as it has been seen for a few days now. And the boys had been to see it a few days ago; I was not able to go with them even though it was a lifer.  

Brian phoned last night to offer to drive me to hopefully tick the bird, as it had been reported as still in the same location yesterday.

The 3 of us met up just before 5am and had a trouble-free run to Holwell, Oxfordshire.

This is on the Oxfordshire-Gloucestershire border, at Eastleach Downs on a minor road. 

As the boys had been here already, they didn't make the same mistakes, and we arrived at the farmer's field at the bottom of the road. I didn't hang about and set off up the road to a row of bushes where a few people were spread about, and I was put onto the Shrike by a couple of birders that we found had come all the way from Poland to see this bird this morning.

So I got cracking views, and when the boys arrived, they got far better views than the first time they came. The bird, a 1st-summer male Long-tailed Shrike, was well worth the trip.

After a couple of hours spent with this lifer, we headed off to Chum about 30 miles away to try for the reported Montagu's Harrier. It was really hot standing and scanning the large open fields, and after about 90 minutes and talking to a few birders, we decided that the Harrier was not going to show for us today. So a lifer tick for me for the trip, but Jimmy and Brian had to do with better views of the Shrike that they had already seen.

                                                               

The Long -tailed Shrike

Hudsonian Godwit ( Another lifer )

I was away with some of my family in Bruges for a few days. While there, I saw that Jimmy and Brian had been to see a Hudsonian Godwit.   

It was not a lifer for them, but it would have been for me if I had been with them.

On arriving home and seeing that the bird was still hanging around, Brian got in touch to ask if I wanted to try for the Godwit, as it would be a lifer for me. It's a yes. 

We waited to see if the bird had been seen, and when it was confirmed to have stayed around 

We meet up with Brian around 7ish and arrive in Manningtree, Essex. It's an 80-minute drive. We pull into a small free car park. Only a few cars are parked here,

   A  fellow birder thinks he knows where to go to see the bird, and we follow him, but he gets it wrong. We try another route and soon find a group of birders who have the target bird.

The Godwit is not far away and is showing very well; it is a cracking looking bird, and the cameras are clicking away.

After spending a couple of hours watching the Godwit, we head off to Abberton Reservoir.

A Ringneck Duck had been seen, and also an Osprey. 

We scanned the reservoir for a fair while, but we couldn't find any sign of them.

So only a single tick, but it's a lifer, so no complaints.

On the trip home, a stone cracked the car windscreen, just bad luck. 

                                                                  

                                                                       

The Hudsonian  Godwit