Red-backed Delight, 17th September

All I had was an hour to spare before work this morning so I nipped to Rossall Point. It was fairly murky and the wind was a fairly stiff ESE breeze. And yet again it was quiet! It was so quiet there weren't even any bird scarers out!

There was a little visible passage in the form of Grey Wagtail, 27 Meadow Pipits, 3 Linnets and 2 Siskins. Gripping stuff eh! Grounded migrants were just 3 Wheatears. All too soon it was time to go to work.

Just after 12.00 p.m. I got a phone call from my mate Ian to say he had a juv. Red-backed Shrike at Rossall School...b*stard! Myself and Andrew dashed there and we had cracking views of it as it perched on top of a hedgerow. It was active all the time and continually flew to the ground in search of invertebrates. At one stage it was rooting under the hedge! I forgot my camera so I can't show you any pictures of it. Instead to brighten the page up below is great Grey Shrike in the hand in Canada.

This is no Red-backed Shrike!

This was the first Fylde Red-backed Shrike since another bird was in Fleetwood in 1985. A former Lancashire Bird Recorder, who will remain na,eless, missed the 1985 bird because as he walked up to where we all stood watching it a female Sparrowhawk took it before he got on it. This morning as this gentleman approached as we walked back I said to him "don't worry there aren't any Sprawks about". He did see the funny side.