Right place at the right time !!

 I wonder just how many birds are found by simply being in the "right place at the right time ". I know that this has happened to me on numerous occasions.  Well ,today I was in the right place but sadly a few hours too early!! As I was competing today I was out early with the collies and just after 05.00hrs I was at shrike hedge below Hanging Houghton.  It was very quiet and it certainly seemed that the birds hadn't woken up and were having a lie in.  A few hours later, just after 09.30hrs Stuart Mundy found a juvenile Red Backed Shrike on the very aptly named "shrike hedge ". A fantastic find. Unfortunately the bird was flushed by a Marsh Harrier and despite much searching it was not relocated.                                                                            I was out of county competing with Rouzel and Jaeger who had a good day finishing in the placings so couldn't do anything about the Red Backed Shrike.  As soon as I got home late afternoon I went straight down to shrike hedge and walked around the area but no luck,  just the Marsh Harrier and a Common Redstart.  But I will keep checking the area, just in case it is still around. 

Other birds around today include a Black Necked Grebe,  Wood,  Common and Green Sandpiper at Daventry Reservoir,  Common Redstart and Spotted Flycatcher at Pitsford Reservoir ( Scaldwell bay), Ruddy Shelduck and Common Sandpipers at Stanford Reservoir and 2 Garganey at Summer Leys. 

I wonder what tomorrow will bring? Meanwhile just enjoy some pictures from Tyler Atkinson taken at Clifford Hill GP during the week. 

Regards Eleanor