I took my grandson to school this morning and with some free time on offer I decided to use it by heading up the A12 towards Dunwich. It was a nasty journey with road closures at Orwell bridge and road works all the way but I arrived mid morning paid a fiver to park the car on some gravel that belongs to the national trust and walked out to the gathered birders that I presumed were watching the Turkestan Shrike. Indeed the bird was showing and showing well. I enjoyed watching it for an hour before heading back down the A12 for the school pick up. I saw three Dartford Warblers and a Stonechat whilst there and also bumped into a few birding friends too which was nice. The Turkestan Shrike was feeding well and I saw it catch a Dragonfly, a Bee, several small honey bees or wasps and a few other bits that had the misfortune to fly within thirty feet or so of the butcher bird. It would return to a regular branch to eat and occasionally take a catch into the gorse to impale it in it's larder for later.
This is my second Turkestan Shrike following the Bempton bird of July 2022 but this being a first for Suffolk has nudged my Suffolk list along to 283 and my year list along to 236.
Formerly assigned to Isabelline Shrike and since split to Daurian (Lanius-Isabellinus) and Red-tailed Shrike or Turkestan Shrike (Lanius-phoenicuroides) this bird is at home in central Asia hence it's rarity value in the UK with just eleven previous records.
Year list now 236 (Suffolk list now 283)
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