A juvenile Red-backed Shrike was found at Llansantffraed north of Aberaeron late on Saturday 21st September, however the weather on Sunday was not conducive to birding or photography.
Information on the Ceredigion Birders WhatsApp group advised that the bird was favouring a hedgerow viewable from the coastal path.
I therefore hoped that the bird would still be there on Monday as myself and Teresa were staying at our caravan until yesterday and luckily it was reported as still being present on Monday morning.
I immediately phoned good friend and local birder/togger Paul Mahiques who I have got to know over the last few years, Paul was up for the 'twitch' and we agreed to meet at mid-day at the Tesco car park in Cardigan which is handily located for the A487 coast road.
The weather was quite gloomy when we left Cardigan but as we passed Aberaeron the light improved and was far better for photography than we could have envisaged.
With myself at the wheel we arrived at our destination at 12.50pm and made our way to the location that we had for the bird picking up some waders and gulls on the beach on our way.
These included a leucistic Oystercatcher together with a first and second year Mediterranean Gull and a few Bar-tailed Godwits.
Paul advised me that the white Oystercatcher had been first seen in 2023.
We arrived at the field where the hedgerow was located and after a minute or two I picked out the shrike with my bins and Paul got swiftly on to it.
It was a stunning looking bird and the most colourful of the few that I have seen in the UK, its chestnut back and flanks really standing out.
It performed beautifully perching on fence posts and brambles and several times dashed to the ground preying on insects.
My only regret is that I didn't get a diving shot of it although it always kept a tolerable distance from us as shrikes do.
We both 'filled our boots' taking a couple of hundred shots each and Paul also captured a nice video clip on his phone through his 'scope.
This was only my 4th Red-backed Shrike in the UK all of which have been juveniles, it is however a Ceredigion 'tick' as the other three have all been at or near Kenfig in Glamorgan.......
