Woodchat Shrike

The Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator at Ring Marsh was showing well this afternoon.  The bird was feeding around bramble and Gorse bushes near Ring Marsh in the south east corner of Carnsore Point.  Other birds of note in this locality were Roseate Terns at Lady's Island and a summer plumaged Bonaparte's Gull at Tacumschin.

Woodchat Shrike, Ring Marsh, Wexford © John N Murphy

Woodchat Shrike

I was heading to Wexford for a trip to the Saltee Island on Friday 22nd April.  En-route I decided to take in Helvick Head, in Waterford to see could I see and photo one of the many Woodchat Shrikes in the country at the moment.  I had just got out of the car, snapped off a few shots of the bird when the phone range and news came in that there was a Pallid Harrier at nearby Ballyvergan Marsh, just 20 minutes away.  Needless to say I departed the head immediately for Ballyvergan and the harrier.