A Great Grey Shrike has been at Vampire Flats on Frensham Common for a few weeks now so time for a visit. So what is Vampire Flats? Well, on the 3rd November 1955 a Vampire aircraft XD539 (not shown in photo) had been filming a Hawker Hunter Display Team and was returning to Odiham airfield in Hampshire.
The approach to the airfield was very congested and so the Vampire was diverted to Farnborough. Unfortunately, it ran out of fuel and both pilot and passenger bailed out. The aircraft crashed on Frensham Common between King's Ridge and the Little Pond, an area now called Vampire Flats, although it doesn't seem to appear on any map.
And sure enough the shrike was soon located between King's Ridge and the Little Pond, albeit distant. Like all shrikes it liked to perch high on a tree or bush and was always 100 yards or more away. However, when the sun did break through occasionally it was possible to get a few record shots of this most amazing bird.
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