Shrikes.

You’ve had a good day if you can settle into the pub after finding any Shrike species in Ireland.

The two comonnest Shrike species, Red-Backed Shrike (commonest) and Woodchat Shrike, can turn up in both Spring and Autumn, with Woodchat more biased towards Spring and Red-Backed biased towards Autumn.

Surprisingly, of the two Woodchat Shrikes I have found in Ireland, both were autumn juveniles (not for lack of trying to find spring birds).

20th October, 2006

My first self found Woodchat Shrike was found at Ballymacrown, Co. Cork.

It had been a pretty spectacular day, seeing Ireland’s 2nd** Hermit Thrush** on Cape Clear.

Hermit Thrush - a bird that gave itself up, showing down to a meter at times, hopping around our feet.

Coming off the island that evening, I figured I had just enough light left in the day to check one location.

Figuring that twitchers coming for the Thrush had likely worked Baltimore itself pretty well, I opted for Ballymacrown.

I aimed to start off at the end, at the Radde’s garden, however, driving down the lane and coming up on the pond garden, there on the wires was the distinct outline of a Shrike.

I slammed on the brakes and grabbed a brief view through the window before it flew down into the garden. It looked alarmingly black and white and cold!

I jumped out of the car, scanned with my bins and spotted it sitting on top of a thicket at the back of the pond. It was still looking cold.

I set up my scope, and it was a strange mix of bittersweet emotions that I registered it was "just" a Woodchat and not the Masked Shrike I had been hoping for. This feeling didn’t last long. After all, a finds tick is a finds tick, and it was an excellent end to a great day.

Woodchat Shrike - my first self found individual remains the coldest most monochrome individual I have ever seen. I would be sure it caused some permanent damage to my heart if I had one. 😂

8th of October 2011

My second self found bird fell at one of my favorite west Cork locations, Galley Head.

It had been a decent day birding around, with Semi-Palmated Sandpiper on the estuary at Clon and Yellow-Browed Warbler etc.

Having tried Dirk Bay and along the light house road without too much to show for it, I parked in near Shite Lane and began scouring the area.

Nothing doing on Shite Lane itself, nor on Marsh Lane or the pines across the fields.

Seeing a flock of starlings to the north, I began walking towards them, scanning hedges and fences as I went.

It was then I picked up the distinct shape of a Shrike, with a rufous tinged looking head across the fields on a fence post.

I quickly grabbed my scope and sure enough, a rather lovely juv. Woodchat Shrike in the bag!

I quickly put the news out and a number of twitchers made their way down for the bird.

It hung around the area for a week and was then twitched by numerous people on their to and fro from Cape.

Woodchat Shrike - Rónán McLaughlin

Woodchat Shrike - Tom Shevlin

Woodchat Shrike - Ciarán Cronin

July 23rd 2017

I have found one Woodchat Shrike as a rarity outside of Ireland, here in Finland.

Driving from our cabin in Lohja, birding the back roads to our intended destination, I stopped near a woodpile that would normally hold a Red-Backed Shrike or two.

Sure enough there was a Shrike shaped bird on top. I raised my bins and was flabbergasted to see two large white patches on the back and a chestnut head!

Woodchat Shrike!

It was, I believe, around the 36th for Finland and only the 2nd for Lohja county.

Woodchat Shrike - I won’t win awards for these pics, but they prove the pudding

This bird was unfortunately a pain to twitch, highly mobile, with only one birder that I know of having connected with it over a kilometer away from the original location.