Shrike's !

Lo Romero - 10.11.19

On of the first locations I visit on any trip this time of year to Murcia is Lo Romero Golf course particularly to check out if the Southern Grey Shrikes have returned. Over the last couple of years there have have been several over wintering and you would be unlucky not to see at least one occupying the scrubby undeveloped areas.

In this part of Spain it's the norm to build the infrastructure first before building homes, it's rather strange to drive around the lonely roads complete with street signage, pavements, street lighting all planted with flowering shrubs, you will even see bins with plastic liners for whom I can't imagine.

Sun rise at this time of year is around 7.30am and as it's a five minuet drive you don't have to get up at some unearthly hour. A quick drive around for a rece the usual suspects are present and over three or four visits you can rack up quick a decent list which I list below. With no sign of any SGS I have one more location to check out before I draw a blank, now on the top the hill I scan the scrub area which flanks the road and in the distance sat in a small sea tree is my target...a Southern Grey Shrike.

Now shrike's I find can be one of the most difficult of birds to approach, but I have a plan that has worked pretty well over the years so I going to give a go once again. As I'm parked at the top of the hill I'm going to "free wheel" the car at snails pace with camo over the window and the camera already on the bean bag hopefully the shrike is preoccupied on the lookout for some unsuspecting prey and let me get within range. It take me about ten minuets to get within maybe twenty meters of the bird, general shooting into the sky not the best of shots...but it's a shrike for goodness sake !

Always battling to get a shot through the branches the shrikes remains unperturbed so I edge forward a little more for the last remains shots. With a bagful of images the shrike has had enough and it's gone. Usually at best I only get one chance a day to approach the bird so I'm really please to meet up what seems like an old friend.

Iberian / Southern Grey Shrike

Brief list but is not extensive includes :

Green Woodpecker, Red legged Partridge, Little Owl, Kestrel, Linnet, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Stonechat, Monk Parakeet, Wood Pigeon, Collard Dove, Crested Lark, Blackbird, Southern Grey Shrike, Crag Martin.  In season on passage, Woodchat Shrike, Spotted Flycatcher, Summer resident, Red Rumped Swallow, Turtle Dove, Cuckoo