Is this a shrike?

Being furloughed has enabled me to look through a few of my old photographs and I came across this one from 19 September 2019, taken at Dunstanburgh Castle, near Alnwick, Northumberland. It looks rather like a juvenile Red-backed Shrike to me, but that felt wrong at the time, and would seem unlikely. It was in the company of a sizeable flock of Linnets and pipits with juvenile Swallows also gathering on the fence wires. Your advice would be greatly appreciated – there not being any shrikes on my UK bird list to date!

David Capps, Cumbria

Q

Congratulations, David, on finding your first shrike! Your photographs do indeed show a Red-backed Shrike (and one of the ‘accompanying’ Linnets, in the background). However, the plain grey/brown head and clean looking breast, with relatively small amounts of ‘scaling’, suggests it is a (rarer) adult female than a juvenile or first-winter bird (which dominate the autumn passage of this scarce migrant). All shrikes are wonderful, and yours is no exception.

A

Chris Farrell, Chelmsford

Chris, you are correct on all points. This is indeed a Garden Warbler, one of the best singers of all our warblers. The ‘chunky’ structure, plain grey-brown plumage and ‘ featureless face’, with a big dark eye, plus the grey legs, all confirm this ID. They can be very shy even when singing, so you did very well to get such a good look, let alone a photo!

A

with occasional Bullfinch, redpoll and Brambling in hard weather, so wonder whether any of these could be one of the parents?