ISABELLINE SHRIKE TWITCH!!!

DIPPED!!!
I was going home to collapse with exhaustion after work, but news on the pager of an ISABELLINE SHRIKE at Stiffkey had me flying up the road. Lorries, tractors, bl**dy horse boxes and all kinds in the way on route! Pager message when I had got as far as Wells said 'no further sign'. I carried on anyway as it could show again. As I drove along Greenway, there were several smiley birders in the carpark who had seen the shrike and several glum faced birders walking back who hadn't seen it! Even Eddie didn't make it in time, so I had no hope whatsoever! Shrike gone to roost most probably was the general consensus. As Eddie said, if it had been sunny, it would more than probably still be showing, but the weather was cloudy and dull. Passed LGRE and several Norfolk birders along the path as I sped up to the whirligig in hope that it showed again. Stood at the whirligig with Eddie, Andy J. and Phil and all I saw were a few Robins and Blackbirds in failing light. Think I will go to roost until Saturday! Walking back to the carpark with my torch I spotted a bird roosting in a tall pine tree – looked like a woodpigeon – how exciting, not! Two days to go.

Wish I had seen what the large thrush was last night at Holme in the NWT Forestry..... Siberian Thrush maybe! Who knows, another one that got away!

Lots of lovely posts on the Norfolk thread on Birdforum including info that the Isabelline Shrike had been at Stiffkey yesterday!!! Was photographed and was thought it was a Red-backed Shrike! Now.... if news of that 'Red-backed Shrike' had gone out at the time, then birders would have gone to see it and news of a Isabelline Shrike would have been out yesterday!

Another Isabelline Shrike was discovered at Kilnsea, Yorkshire today.