We had been to Fillingham the previous day with the weather cloudy but fine as we left home. Fillingham is only half an hour away but as we pulled up the heavens opened and the rain was biblical ! A very quick walk up the hedgerow and we were soaked so beat a retreat to return the following day. So we stood for a couple of hours with 20 other folk and all we saw was a fieldfare ! The never ending din of a large pack of dogs that didn't stop barking for 2 hours was enough to drive me mad.....we were told it was the hunt which I am pleased to say that not one birder there supported. A never ending stream of gun dogs passed us on the path, non on leads. So, enough was enough. Got back to the car and saw a birder peering through the hedge further up the road and there sat the shrike. Pity the crowd on the roadside didn't put it on the pager......would have saved us two hours. So, a few heated comments were said from the birders that had travelled and quite rightly so !
