I took my birding buddies Pete Blanchard and Dave Soons down to Plymouth on a hunt for the recently reported Lesser Grey Shrike. The Lesser Grey Shrike breeds in South and Central Europe and Western Asia in the summer and migrates to winter quarters in southern Africa in the early autumn, returning in spring. This one had obviously lost it's way!!
After almost a three hour drive, we arrived at Mount Batten Point. We were rewarded with splendid views of Plymouth Sound (including a submarine and othe navel vessels). After 20 minutes or so searching, we were further rewarded with some striking views of the Shrike, just off the coastal path heading towards Jenny Cliff Bay.
Lesser Grey Shrike after a successful hunt...
Buoyed by our success, we decided to head into Cornwall to visit Davidstow Airport, where a Rose Colours Starling, American Golden Plove and Buff-breasted Sandpiper had been spotted a couple of days earlier.
We regretted this decision. There was nothing to be seen other than some twitchers chasing starling flocks around! This one trip demonstrated the highs and lows of the life of a bird photographer. Still, we had the 4-hour trip home to look forward to.
On the way back, we stopped off at Bowling Green Marsh RSPB near Topsham. We sighted a large flock of Curlew, a distant Osprey carrying a fish and being mobbed by Gulls and a Peregrine ineptly flushing Redshank, Greenshank and Godwit...a great sight but no pictures.
Another great day of bird photography!