Long-tailed Shrike: They say you should never go back. In birding, returning to a mega-rarity you’ve already ticked can feel like a gamble. Will it show as well? Will the magic still be there? But when news dropped that the Gloucestershire Long-tailed Shrike was still holding down its territory near Eastleach I couldn't resist another go at it.
And better yet, the bird had successfully completed its moult, I knew I had to make the trip for round two. If you thought this Asian vagrant looked spectacular back in July, you should see it now. It is absolute perfection.
I saw the Fife, a 2nd record for the UK, this twitch was an adrenaline-fueled, chaotic scramble. The atmosphere was electric, and also saw this bird when it first turned up here, but let’s be honest the bird was looking a little worse for wear. Traveling thousands of miles off-course takes a toll, and its plumage was showing the undeniable scruffiness of a long journey and a pending summer moult.
Another biggest difference between my two visits? The sheer drop in atmospheric pressure and I don't mean the weather. Back in July, the feild margins surrounding Eastleach were packed with hundreds of birders, a sea of tripod legs, and a palpable, high-stakes tension.
This time around, the frantic "twitcher rush" had entirely dissolved. Only a relaxed, companionable handful of birders remained along the hedge line. Without the massive walls of scopes and shuffling crowds, the atmosphere was incredibly peaceful. Better yet, the bird itself seemed totally relaxed in its well-established territory. With fewer eyes on it and no chaotic movements to spook it, the shrike put on an absolute masterclass in showmanship.
