A rare red-backed shrike, last seen in 2021, was spotted and photographed at Fen Drayton Lakes, marking the first confirmed sighting in four years.

A rare red-backed shrike, last seen in Cambridgeshire in 2021 and considered functionally extinct as a breeder since 1989, was spotted at RSPB Fen Drayton Lakes—the first confirmed sighting in four years. 13-year-old Jack Brackley photographed the bird while searching for another species with his father, capturing it through a hedgerow using a 200-600mm lens. The image won first place in the RSPCA Young Photographer Awards’ A Better World for Animals category. The shrike has been recorded only 22 times in Cambridgeshire since 1980, making the sighting highly significant. Jack, an experienced young bird photographer, highlighted the importance of preserving habitats like Fen Drayton Lakes to support endangered species.