Red-backed Shrike Anniversary Wall Art By Marjolein Bastin

Image Notes It was thirty years ago that I first spotted the Red-backed shrike in a hawthorn bush on the island Ameland in the Netherlands. Its nest was hidden perfectly, I was lucky to spot it at all. Now, exactly thirty years later I spot another nest of them, this time in Switzerland. Hidden deep in a hedgerow of rose bushes, conifers and blackberries the young birds are getting ready to leave the nest. Mom and dad are still providing a steady supply of grasshoppers, beetles and other insects from the garden but it won't be long before they get a day off!