There had been a really rare bird around the Gloucestershire Oxfordshire border for a few weeks, but it was just a little too far for me to make a visit to see it. Then one weekend I was helping my daughter move her belongings into her new place in Bristol, and it got me looking at the map and thinking that I could potentially "drop in" on my journey home. I was certainly glad that I did, as I managed to get some brilliant views of the Long-tailed Shrike, that is only the third ever bird recorded in the UK. Both others were seen in the North of Scotland, and one just weeks before. So this was an first in England and one of the best birds I've ever been fortunate to see with my own eyes. Well worth the extra few miles on the way back home.
You can see my video footage of the bird here:
Long-tailed Shrike
