Turkestan Shrike in Suffolk costs me the bird of a lifetime

With abundant images of a superb adult male Turkestan Shrike on Dunwich Heath in Suffolk having been tempting me for a few days and as there seemed to be no chance of a change in the weather and no East coast migrant arrivals on the morning of 8th when news of the bird’s continued presence appeared at around 09:00 I quickly booked two nights at the Ship, Dunwich and we were off - the A17 was its usual self but with the forecast of a dull and possibly wet morning giving way to a bright and sunny afternoon in Suffolk it was somewhat surprising to hit thick cloud and rain as we moved south from Norwich - cursing the MET Office and their incompetence, amazingly as we passed Blythburgh, with all its UEA Bird Club memories, the rain stopped and as we drove into Dunwich car park the shrike was on view and posed nicely for the next 90 minutes after which it went into its roosting site BUT at this point I received images of a White-throated Needletail on the phone apparently taken at Top Hill Low just 45 minutes from home! Surely it was a mistake? but as details emerged that it was genuine though the first hopeful arrivals failed to locate the bird and it seemed almost safe to be in Suffolk!. I even messaged people saying I was on a cliff, at Dunwich, waiting for it to move south. Later shattering news came through that it had found a cliff but at Bempton - there was no way that I could have got there through the horrendous Beverley roadworks that evening so it was a nervous night waiting for negative news the following morning! The news was indeed negative and the shrike was showing well in sunshine now after which we had a nice walk to Minsmere with scones and clotted cream accompanied by two juvenile Hobbies what could go wrong? Stress levels were suitably reduced then a late evening text arrived to say the swift was at Filey! We had another night booked at Dunwich and I knew that getting permission to leave early was not on the cards! Next morning of course the swift was found at Scarborough and if I had been at Filey with the others then I would have seen it - the one species in the world I most wanted to see having missed them on a trip to China in 1993. We were heading back north following the usual tractors when news came through that it had disappeared to the north so there was no rush. The following day I headed to Bempton on the very, very remote chance that the swift would have returned or be found up the coast but after 10 hours I gave up - will there ever be another one? well I very much doubt if there is that it will be so close to home and chatting with several people at Bempton I was treated to some very gripping stories that did little to relieve my disappointment but as they say its just a BIRD but a damned good and very big one - meantime here are some images of the shrike whcih was also a very nice bird but will always kindle some rather mixed emotions

Turkestan Shrike in Suffolk costs me the bird of a lifetime

October 2025