Further to a BirdGuides post on Mon 26th December and repeated at 09.13 today 27th December (Tuesday) :
" Great Grey Shrike at Folkingham, Lincs - still in hedge opposite the house with the blue lights at TF 064332 this morning".........I arrived at the stakeout just after 11.30.
The lady of the house " with the blue lights" happened to be outside as I walked past (having parked my car off the road c 100 yards past the house) and she kindly informed me that her son had been watching the Shrike from the road near the house earlier in the morning.
Within 5 minutes or so, I had located the bird at the top of a bush to the left of the house at the edge of a beetfield. I then kept it in view while I got closer and a few minutes later, after having muddied my footwear beyond recognition with beetfield mud and having tripped partly down a rabbit hole, I was enjoying much closer views of the Shrike perched on wires crossing another beetfield towards the village. The bird changed perching points several times (on wires/bushes/trees) before I left the area at 12.35, and it had been showing prominently virtually non-stop with the white parts of its plumage clearly visible to the naked eye.
I would think that the bird will stay around the area for the rest of the day at least.
I suspect that the Shrike is the original Sleaford bird first reported in mid-November. I have been tracking its movements on the web :
..14 Nov - reported at Kelby (Robert Townhill) near Sleaford
..15 Nov - reported at nearby Rauceby Warren
..30 Nov - reported in nearby Wilsford area by Hugh Dorrington
..22 Dec - reported at Haceby 4 miles or so S of Wilsford
..26/27 Dec - now reported at Folkingham 3 or 4 miles SE of Haceby.
On my way back to BBH, I spotted a skein of c 60 Pink-footed Geese over Aswarby.
Freddy
PS. Hugh,
If the Shrike continues moving S/SE, only another 4 miles or so from Folkingham will bring it to Dunsby.
