There was great excitement this morning when word came over the radios of a male red-backed shrike perched close to Bittern Hide. Matt and I immediately rushed down, cameras in hand, hoping for a good photographing opportunity. Alas, by the time we arrived it had moved further away, and retreated to the lowest branches of a dead tree, just a little too far away for any worthwhile photos. At least we saw it, though.
Having seen the shrike, as well as bittern, little egret, grey heron and marsh harrier, I quickly tweeted the news out, so that other birdwatchers in the area could get along to look for it themselves. Unfortunately, the word shrike is obviously not in Samsung's pre-programmed dictionary, and the tweet actually said that there was a red-backed shriek at Bittern Hide. Interestingly, this prompted a variety of comments, with some followers liking the new name and feeling it represented the sound made by the shrike's prey when impaled on thorn - a behaviour which leads to the Olde Englishe name of butcher-bird.
The shrike soon flew towards Wildlife Lookout, where it was later located in bushes behind the hide, but there have been no further sightings since lunchtime. Could this have been the same bird as the one reported along the Eastbridge footpath a few days ago? If so, there may be more chances to see it.
Red-backed shrikes bred widely throughout England until the middle of the 20th century, but declined rapidly due to habitat loss, intensification of agriculture, and eventually the loss of eggs to egg-collectors, and eventually ceased regular breeding in the mid 1980s. There have been occasional nesting attempts since, but they are now known mainly as passage migrants. Mid May is a good time to see adults, as they return to breeding areas in Scandinavia and Central Europe, having spent the winter in sub-Saharan Africa. Juveniles then often turn up in the autumn when blown off course on route to Africa.
It's been quite a good week for birds passing through Minsmere, whether as passage migrants, or simply wandering within the UK. On Tuesday morning two common cranes drifted south along the coast, over RSPB Dingle Marshes, before circling over Minsmere and drifting back north. At least two red kites and eight common buzzards were also seen on Tuesday, when two of our guides reported sightings of a possible honey-buzzard in different parts of the reserve. Cranes, kites and buzzards are regular visitors, but honey-buzzards remain scarce visitors, although there have been more regular sightings in recent springs. Continuing the bird of prey theme, a ringtail harrier was reported over North Marsh today - given the time of year this may well have been a female Montagu's harrier, rather than a female hen harrier as first thought by the visitors who saw it.
It's been a quiet spring for wader migration, so it was nice to see a stunning summer plumage grey plover on South Scrape and a summer plumage sanderling on East Scrape today. Other passage waders this week have included two bar-tailed godwits, a greenshank, at least six tundrae race ringed plovers, a couple of turnstones and several dunlins.
Five breeding plumage dunlins on East Scrape today showing their lovely black bellies
The black-tailed godwit flock on the Scrape reached at least 200 birds today, making quite a sight when flushed by a male marsh harrier. With avocets, Mediterranean gulls, black-headed gulls and common terns also going up to chase this predator away, the sky was awash with birds.
Black-tailed godwits with avocets and a shelduck today
There are young birds appearing everywhere too: black-headed gull chicks can now be seen on most islands on the Scrape; broods of shelducks, mallards, greylag, Canada and barnacle geese and moorhens are widespread; a pair of oystercatchers on West Scrape has two chicks; little grebes have chicks behind South Hide; the mute swans behind Wildlife Lookout have seven cygnets; and at least two female bitterns now have young so can be seen regularly flying over the reedbed as they look for new feeding pools.
Although the weather today has been less productive for insect watchers, it's been a good week, with many species now on the wing. Dragonflies seen so far include Norfolk hawker, hairy dragonfly, broad-bodied and four-spotted chasers, banded demoiselles, and various damselflies. The first small heath and common blue have joined the growing list of butterflies, with several species seen on Tuesday when our butterfly surveyor, Derek, carried out a butterfly transect for a TV film crew.
Finally, it was lovely to be able to add a touch of colour to a grey afternoon with several yellow flag irises now flowering around the reedbed margins and in front of North Hide.