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Cubist

Still wavin'
Location
Ovver 'thill
Have I just seen a Shrike? Or if I haven't, what was it?
Larger than a sparrow but slimmer. It's back was light brown, similar colour to a collared dove, with dark brown wing edges. It's throat and breast were a pinkish cream. It had dark eyes, a short black beak, and almost a wrapround sunglasses effect. It had grey feathers over its eyes like eyebrows. The portion of its body between wings and tail was white, and its tail forked as it flew, dark tail feathers parting to show a flash of white. It was in amongst some reed grass in a tussocky bit of rough pasture. I've checked various websites but shrikes are pretty scarce.

I heard it call just once, a cross between a chirp and a gurgle.

Edit. I've checked distribution and we're a bit too far west of its normal passage route, although we've had a week of brisk easterly winds and they could be off course.
 
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nickyboy

Norven Mankey
Have I just seen a Shrike? Or if I haven't, what was it?
Larger than a sparrow but slimmer. It's back was light brown, similar colour to a collared dove, with dark brown wing edges. It's throat and breast were a pinkish cream. It had dark eyes, a short black beak, and almost a wrapround sunglasses effect. It had grey feathers over its eyes like eyebrows. The portion of its body between wings and tail was white, and its tail forked as it flew, dark tail feathers parting to show a flash of white. It was in amongst some reed grass in a tussocky bit of rough pasture. I've checked various websites but shrikes are pretty scarce.

I heard it call just once, a cross between a chirp and a gurgle.

Edit. I've checked distribution and we're a bit too far west of its normal passage route, although we've had a week of brisk easterly winds and they could be off course.

Description sounds good for Red Backed Shrike. The first of the year was seen last week in UK so it's not impossible. It's very rare where we live so the County bird recorder would be very interested I'm sure

upload_2017-5-7_17-39-8.png
 

Cubist

Still wavin'
Location
Ovver 'thill
Description sounds good for Red Backed Shrike. The first of the year was seen last week in UK so it's not impossible. It's very rare where we live so the County bird recorder would be very interested I'm sure

View attachment 351299
There's something bugging me. I think those colours are wrong....... Not as much contrast, and the back was more a beige than a dark brown. Bugger. Off to have another browse.
 

Cubist

Still wavin'
Location
Ovver 'thill
Description sounds good for Red Backed Shrike. The first of the year was seen last week in UK so it's not impossible. It's very rare where we live so the County bird recorder would be very interested I'm sure

View attachment 351299
Got it. There were two of them, and I'm pretty sure they were wheatears.
Scroll down this page for some photos of the male. The female was less contrasted, but I'm certain that's what they were.
http://www.stephenburch.com/oxonpics/spring07.htm
 

annedonnelly

Girl from the North Country
Got it. There were two of them, and I'm pretty sure they were wheatears.
Scroll down this page for some photos of the male. The female was less contrasted, but I'm certain that's what they were.
http://www.stephenburch.com/oxonpics/spring07.htm

Having read your description above I was just about to suggest Wheatear. The name comes from the white a**e that you mentioned seeing when it flew. Stunning little birds.
 

Cubist

Still wavin'
Location
Ovver 'thill
Having read your description above I was just about to suggest Wheatear. The name comes from the white a**e that you mentioned seeing when it flew. Stunning little birds.
The female was more subtle than the male, but the yellow/pink/cream blush on her throat was captivating. I'd never seen one, obviously, but was thrilled by the chance. She can't have been more than ten feet from me at one point, and the detail through the binos was a treat.
 

Maverick Goose

A jumped up pantry boy, who never knew his place
Lots of Orange Tip butterflies and Speckled Woods around the Sawreys.
 

potsy

Rambler
Location
My Armchair
Is that one of those lightweight plastic birdbaths? Is the stone to weigh it down? My ceramic/terracotta bird bath is falling apart but I have only seen plastic ones to replace it and I think they'd blow away.
It is lightweight but you can add sand/gravel to the base to weigh it down.

The stone is for the little birds to stand on as it is quite deep for them, but perfect around it for the bigger birds.
 

annedonnelly

Girl from the North Country
It is lightweight but you can add sand/gravel to the base to weigh it down.

The stone is for the little birds to stand on as it is quite deep for them, but perfect around it for the bigger birds.

Thanks, I'll look out for something like that when I'm forced to replace mine. At the minute the bath water is almost as important as the food :smile:
 
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