A spectacular find by Georg Schreier yesterday, came in the form of a 1st winter Lesser Grey Shrike at Vale Santo. A bird normally found in Eastern Europe towards Asia, this 1st winter shrike was making a different migration route to Africa. The key identification features stand out well - lack of a white band over the eye, found on Iberian Grey Shrike. A broad depth to the bill with a curved upturn to the lower mandible. Long primary projections which showed at times when the shrike perched side on. Together with a handful of my Portuguese birding friends, we remade contact with the Lesser Grey Shrike this morning, though it remained distant across a field. This was my second record of this species, having seen one at Spurn many years ago now. I was delighted to be part of this superb record for Portugal. The shrike remained in the same field all day, feeding and having several favourite bushes to look out from. It almost appeared of lesser importance when a stunning juvenile Pallid Harrier flew through, early this morning - accounting for the rubbish images! This afternoon around Vale Santo the Pallid Harrier was still about, as was a Montagu's Harrier, up to 10 Booted Eagles and a few Black Kites. Two juvenile Woodchat Shrikes were in the same field as the Lesser Grey Shrike.
Comments are closed.
|
|