I last visited this site back in July, shortly after the Long-tailed Shrike first turned up, and with my accommodation only around 30 minutes away, I decided to call in again this afternoon.
The bird, a 1st-summer male, has now been present for an incredible 54 days and has undergone its summer moult, giving it a more adult appearance.
I was pretty overwhelmed by the bird this afternoon. It was showing exceptionally well, often down to just a few metres, and seemed completely unconcerned by the number of birders gathered to watch it.
It was also very active, spending plenty of time hunting and catching beetles and crickets before returning to its favoured perches. Watching it hunting at such close range gave some superb views of its behaviour.
The bird clearly seems to have become accustomed to the crowds by now and showed little sign of being bothered by the people watching it. It simply carried on feeding and going about its business.
Having last seen it back in July, it was great to return and see the bird again, particularly now that it has moulted.
