Red-backed Shrike @ Faneromeni/Sigri & Kato Stavros

Red-backed Shrike ( Copyright T D Wright )

Very soon after turning off the road into Sigri town to head for Faneromeni, I spotted this corking male in somebody's garden. So I think I may still have been in Sigri. Anyway, as I was watching it a busload of birders led by Steve Dudley joined me. We exchanged news and so on, but I didn't realise at this stage that 2015 would be so prolific for RB Shrikes. I bumped into them when I explored places where there were no other birders i.e. Vatera & the Ambeliko valley near Kato Stavros. The one on the more 'natural' perch below is the Ambeliko bird.                                                     

Red-backed Shrike ( Copyright T D Wright )

Red-backed Shrike ( Copyright T D Wright )

Red-backed Shrike ( Copyright T D Wright )

Red-backed Shrike ( Copyright T D Wright )

Red-backed Shrike ( Copyright T D Wright )

This area also had nesting Masked Shrikes...                                                                                

Masked Shrike ( Copyright T D Wright )

Masked Shrike ( Copyright T D Wright )

Masked Shrike ( Copyright T D Wright )

Masked Shrike ( Copyright T D Wright )

More M.S. pics. on next post.