2-3-09 Shrike1 Black Lough

Monday I was going to head up to Harwood but the message of Great Grey Shrike near Alnwick , and I was parking up ready for the trek up the hill , I had been to Black Lough before many years ago , we thought it would be a good idea to take an inflatable dinghy up there and use it on the Lough, only to find it was leaking, with bubbles everywhere when put in the water and we had left the pump back at the car ...............why do we do stupid things .

Anyway it is a slog up there to say the least , I set up as others on the side of the water the shrike on it's post in the distance , so I took a few shots in the hope I could get something, not only was it dull but very windy, not much else there, Stonechats, Mallard, Golden Plover , Buzzard, I was on my own for most of the time , I suppose the location put a few people off, it would have been stunning views closer up as it hovered over the same areas time and again.

Some poor videos, but they do show the bird as it hovers, turn down the sound , and use the slider to slow down/rewind the motion, sometimes it works and sometimes in does not, I have just realised one is only 1 second long, you have to be quick to pause it !!!!!!!!!!!