Steppe Grey Shrike, in the mist – Burnham Norton, 12 October 2014

Each time we’ve been away this year, something exciting has turned up in Norfolk. Having just returned from a week’s family holiday on Tenerife, I wasn’t at all sure about our chances of catching up with the Steppe Grey Shrike, which first appeared in Norfolk over a week ago. Then, to add to the general anxiety, there was an early morning ‘negative news’ message before we set off today. Our next obstacle, once we got to Burnham Norton, was the fog – however, we did manage to see the bird, but for the best part of an hour it remained a small, static silhouette in a hawthorn bush! Eventually it did come closer and the sun did manage to break through at about the same time. Good views finally of this ‘first for Norfolk’ and our second rare shrike of the autumn.

The views did improve a little..

Until finally we were close enough to enjoy the finer details of this ‘first for Norfolk’

I understand that the bird has been fed continuously on a diet of meal worms, by the eager photographers. Not quiet the luxurious gastronomic inducement as smoked salmon, offered to the Ivory Gull in Humberside last year (see my post Arctic ‘pigeon’ 29th Dec 2013) but obviously sufficiently enticing to get it to stick around. I guess I should be grateful..