Another Shrike and getting into a rutt!

Since Brian was free and wanted to photograph the Fallow Deer rutt at Holkham, we spent the morning on the North Coast. En route we watched a Merlin tazz across the road: the cameras were in the boot. of course!

First stop was Wells Woods, where we 'enjoyed' fleeting views of a Yellow-browed Warbler but little else. We then back-tracked to a very muddy Stiffkey and walked westwards. The presence of most of birding's finest revealed that last night's red tailed Shrike was showing, so we joined a small group near the whirligig and managed a few reasonable shots. I don't think any of mine will add to the debate as to race / species, but Brian's weren't at all bad!

Then on to Holkham park, where we got close - perhaps too close! - to the rutting action. Really fascinating to watch and well-worth an early start.

On the way back to Cley for lunch I picked up the last good bird of the day: a Rough-legged Buzzard on a roadside telephone pole, while Walsey Hills turned up this wasp with an enormous ovipositor.