The juvenile/1stW Red-backed Shrike that arrived at KNNR whilst I was on holiday shows no sign of departing, as I write this it is now in it's third week and is still present today.
I had hoped to make another visit in better light and last Friday 28th October the weather duly obliged, the bird had not been reported on Thurs 27th because of poor weather and when I left home late morning there was still no news so my visit was purely speculative.
I arrived at the location where I had seen the bird previously near Post 10 on the main track and searched for about 45mins but to no avail assuming it had departed.
Disappointingly I decided to call it a day and walked back through the area where the bird had originally been found I scanned the bushes seeing a small white shape low down, it was the breast of the shrike, woohoo !!
Myself and Timmy made our way closer to the bird, the light was perfect, was the bird going to hang around for me to get some better photos, you're damn right it was !!
It performed incredibly well, perching up at about 6m distance even catching a pair of intimate mating wasps, it then proceeded to catch a cricket which it impaled on a Hawthorn spike, nature at its most violent, a joy to watch.
I watched and photographed the shrike for about 20 mins or so and although I could have stayed longer I realistically wasn't going to get any better photos than I had already obtained so called it a day.
I have to say they are some of the best images that I have managed to capture.
Myself and Timmy made our way back to the reserve centre where I treated myself to a celebratory Cappuccino and a Shortbread at the kiosk outside, very nice it was too.
I just love it when a plan comes together, unfortunately in birding it never does often enough.
Here are some of my images from a fabulous afternoon........
2 comments:
Amazing shots-especially with the mating wasps & the Dark Bush-cricket. Always love watching shrikes.
Those shots of the shrike with prey in tis beak are bonkers good!
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