Farewell - 15th September 2026

Saturday the 12th of September and there was no sign of the Long tailed Shrike all day and it became obvious that it had departed for destination unknown the night before

It was inevitable that such a day would come when its long stay at Eastleach Downs on the border of Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire finally ended

Here is my personal pictorial memory of Britain's third ever recorded Long tailed Shrike and the first to be recorded for England, Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire.

It remained in its favourite corner of The Cotswolds for a record 63 days and must have been seen by countless hundreds of people during its stay, many such as myself returning for more than one visit. Birders and general public alike from far and wide were enticed by its celebrity to come and pay homage

As the days passed it became more confiding and ever more attractive as it completed its moult from first summer to adult male plumage 

I for one will miss it, having been to see it twenty one times..I will miss the camaraderie of fellow birders, photographers and twitchers, the heat of scorching summer that we shared, the evocative surroundings in which it chose to reside and the other migrant birds such as the whitethroats, redstarts, whinchats, wheatears and corn buntings that spent time in the hedgerows with it.