Sunday 30th August 2026: Long-tailed Shrike

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 We finally made it to Gloucestershire, diverting from a family visit in Bicester, to catch up with the long-staying Long-tailed Shrike, a stray bird normally found in Asia. With reports on Birdguides that it had almost completed it's moult and would likely depart once its tail feathers were fully grown, it had been an anxious few days hoping it would not depart before we could get there. So it was some relief to discover it had been reported before we departed from Bicester in the morning. 

It took around 40 minutes to drive to the car park, which was surprisingly busy with birders considering how long the bird has been there. It was a 5 minute walk to the hedgerows where the bird was located, and what a beauty it was. We had sustained, clear views as it moved around various perches in the hedgerows and swooped onto prey on the dry grassland before returning to its post. It had certainly been worth the drive!

On arrival there were rumours of a possible Montagu's Harrier over the treetops just as we approached, but  after enjoying the Shrike, and scanning the treetops we had found only Red Kites, Buzzards and Kestrels. A public footpath lies across the field towards the clump of trees, so we decided to take a walk along the track. A couple of deer and a hare were seen disappearing as we approached, and in a grassy field there were good numbers of hopping Mistle Thrushes. Scanning the area, Tim spotted a ringtail Harrier quartering low over the fields. We were not skilled enough to identify it, but retracing our steps to the Shrike area, I managed to alert another birder who came along with his scope and confirmed it was a Hen Harrier. Slightly disappointing, but not very, as we do not frequently see this species, and it was my first for the year in England.



Long-tailed Shrike


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