Isabelline Shrike: Again I find myself up on the Yorkshire coast, again twitching some far eastern birds. First stop was for the two-barred warbler which I dipped, then to Thornwick Bay for the OPB when a issy shrike spp was recorded 10 mins up the road at Bempton.
The question is 'isabelline or red-tailed shrike' you see, not only do sabellinus and phoenicuroides are structurally and physiologically closely related but they share genetic characteristics too!
Both species have similar moult patterns, breed later and have longer migrations than the eastern races, and as one might expect show a longer wing, second primary and primary projections.
Olive-backed Pipit: This part of Yorkshire at the moment is buzzing with some brilliant birds and almost has the feeling of November on Shetland. Its dripping in YBW, RBF and a selection of other leaf warblers like the recent pale-legged and two-barred.
Shoulder to shoulder with dozens of birders and toggers right up against the wooden fence, where the bird showed well at first in the dappled light of the leaflitter, before moving into the taller grass and between the trees.
Another bird that you would expect to see on Shetland in November is OBP, a long-distance migrant moving in winter to southern Asia and Indonesia with a few overshooting and this bird finding its way to a caravan park in Thornwick Bay, Flamborough.
Whats next? Whatever it is I hope I can move quickly enough to see it.
