Promising weather conditions made us head up to Holy Island yesterday. First to Chare Ends where we found a male Red-backed Shrike. Also in the dunes at Chare Ends there was a Pied Flycatcher, numerous Lesser Whitethroats and a Tree Pipit. At the Lough there was another Lesser Whitethroat and a Garden Warbler. A walk down the Crooked Lonnen produced nothing out of the ordinary and the Straight Lonnen held at least one Redstart and a Pied Flycatcher. It was then we received news of a possible Lesser Grey Shrike from the main car park. After a short wait the Shrike perched up on a fence before gradually moving further away. After a bite to eat we decided to have a look in the Vicar’s Garden, where we found an Icterine Warbler. Both Pied and Spotted Flycatchers were also present in the garden. We then got a text to say the Rustic Bunting had been seen again at the Snook. Despite thoroughly searching the area where it had last been seen we only found a Tree Pipit and a pair of Red-backed Shrikes perched together on a hawthorn.
On the way home we called in at Chevington where we heard the Great Reed Warbler several times and got one short view of it.
T & J Farooqi
