DOUBLE DIPPING!PALLAS GRASSHOPPER WARBLER & RED BACKED SHRIKE

16th September 2016

News broke today of a Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler trapped and ringed at Kilnsea, Church Fields. I rang Malc Curtin, and we set off for the three-hour drive over to East Yorkshire. We knew there was little chance the bird would still be present after release, but it was worth checking in case it reappeared.

On arrival, only two birders were present—a surprisingly small turnout for such a mega rarity. We spent nearly four hours searching the fields as more birders trickled in, but the Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler had gone. Despite the disappointment, it was great to be out in the field and on a mega twitch, however fleeting.

17th September 2016

Later that evening, while updating my blog, I spotted a juvenile Red-backed Shrike reported at Silver Lane Pools, Risley, near Warrington. The news hadn’t yet gone public, so I tweeted it out. Unfortunately, heavy traffic on the M6 and a work duty at 7:30 p.m. meant I couldn’t visit until the following morning.

Arriving at 8 a.m., thick mist greeted me, along with a small group of fellow birders. Apparently, the bird had been seen at midday the previous day. Despite missing the shrike, I did manage to enjoy excellent views of a Sparrowhawk, a fine consolation for the morning.

Though it can be frustrating when locations of rare birds are shared prematurely online, being in the field and chasing these species is always part of the adventure—and it makes each sighting, when it happens, all the more rewarding.

Sparrowhawk