News was coming through that Brightlingsea birder Darrell Stile, aka The Shrike Whisperer, had found another Red-backed Shrike on the sea wall next to Bateman's Tower, the second in two years, so we set off expecting to join a long line of photographers. In the event the only ones there when we arrived were Essex birders Peter Triston and John Pringle.
The bird was following a circuit which included the brambles right next to the narrow ditch behind the sea wall, and was seen almost immediately 50 yards away sitting on top of a Hawthorn bush. So now it was just a matter of approaching the bird slowly as it moved from one bush to the next. As it turned out the bird was fairly confiding allowing some reasonable shots to be taken.
To cap it all the next day Darrel found a Great Grey Shrike at the same site which sadly flew off almost immediately. I must find out where he buys those shrike nuts.
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