My Shrike Obsession - 18th August 2026

I could not resist another visit to the Long tailed Shrike this evening.Yes I know but when if ever will I have a truly mega rarity such as this so close to where I live and now, thoroughly settled in its temporary home and allowing such fabulous views? 

A brisk westerly wind was blowing along the bridleway this afternoon and the sun had been absent for most of the day. For once I felt underdressed in what has now become my summer plumage, tee shirt and shorts and the wind made me feel slightly cold.What a novelty after the constant heat and sunshine of the weeks prior

I found only two other birders present and they pointed out the shrike immediately, perched on a branch in its favourite hawthorn tree. I was informed it had just eaten a mouse or vole which it had impaled on a thorn and torn to shreds, swallowing much of it but leaving some for later.

The shrike sat content in the tree for the next ten minutes, plump and content, sheltered for the most part from the wind and no doubt digesting its recent meal. So far during iys stay I have seen it capture and eat grasshoppers, crickets beetles, bees, mice and voles and twice unsuccesfully attack a Dunnock.Others have reported lizards too. 

The shrike turned on its perch, in the process showing the very attractive grey and russet colouring to its upperparts, now looking quite natty as its moult nears completion. A few wing and tail feathers need to grow to their full extent and it will be all set to migrate if that is what it is likely to do.We will have to wait and see but it cannot be long now.

It slipped further into the tree and became invisible and none of us knew for certain where it had gone, had it left the tree entirely or was it still in the tree having decided to seek shelter further in the midst of an impenetrable tangle of thorns, leaves, berries and bramble?.

For the next half an hour there was not a sign of it. Convinced it had maybe slipped out the other side of the tree un noticed we searched elsewhere but there was no sign of it. In our searching we discovered a trio of Whinchats, a Common Redstart and Corn Buntings, while a Raven cronked in the distance as it crossed the vast openness of now harvested fields forming a pale straw patchwork that stretched away in all directions, etched between the outlines of dark hedges and isolated woodland

Standing in this loneliness of sky and farmland I could not help but reflect on how my current situation was so different to the day the shrike was discovered and hundreds of birders came to crowd onto the usually deserted road and bridleway, bringing a friendly but chaotic atmosphere to this un -prepossessing location.

We waited for a considerable time for the shrike to re-appear and when it did it was to reveal it had been in the tree all along, hiding out of sight but now it was back perched just inside the canopy and tucking in to the rest of the mouse impaled on a thorn. I could clearly see red bloodied pieces of mouse flesh in its bill and what remained of the mouse's head impaled on the thorn.

The shrike fed for a  short while but soon desisted, wiping its bill carefully on the branch it was perched on. It flew to an exposed branch of hawthorn to sit and await an opportunity to pounce on another victim. It again tried its luck in capturing a Dunnock that was scuffling along at the edge of the bridleway but as before was not quick enough 

It flew back to perch in an elder and that is where we left it.The wind by now was quite cold and the light was fading fast so there was little point in prolonging my stay.

The shrike remained perched and alert awaiting one more chance to feed before nightfall came. .