The much-admired and remarkably long-staying Long-tailed Shrike that took up home in the hedgerows of the Cotswolds departed a few weeks ago, so here are some images of this beautiful bird.

It really was a brilliant experience to see it moult into its adult plumage over the many weeks it was here. From a relatively unkempt and dull youngster, the shrike gradually developed into its striking adult plumage, no doubt aided by the abundance food it was able to hunt for.

Spending some quality time with a stunning bird in a wonderful location has rekindled my love of bird photography. So much so that I have decided to upgrade my camera body and make the leap to mirrorless. Once the new body has arrived I'll be eager to test it out so watch this space for some more regular updates.

In the meantime, here are my favourite images of what will go down as an all time great bird for the UK.