The news services reported belatedly that a 1st-summer Long-tailed Shrike was present at Macaroni Farm from the 8th-16th July, but there has been no sign since. Then it was seen in the hedge along a minor road, but again "no sign since".
After an early-morning search today failed to find the bird, it was subsequently refound in the hedge at 11.21am.
A phone call from Brian early this afternoon saw us heading towards Eastleach Martin in Gloucestershire, where the Long-tailed Shrike had been refound. After a delay on the M25, we reached the farmer's field that had been opened up for parking, paid the £5 donation and set off along the minor track. I grabbed a quick look at the shrike through another birder's scope, which proved to be the closest view I had of the bird the entire time spent on site. It was constantly on show, but remained distant, preferring to spend most of its time at the end of the hedgeline farthest from the road. Brian, in his haste to get on the road, had forgotten to put his memory card back in his camera before leaving home, but it wasn't a day for photographs while we were there anyway.
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