Mikepércs: Shrikes V.

Today the first visitors were hoopoes. Two hoopoes landed nearby and started to probe the sandy soil with their long beaks. Stealthily I hoped they would alight on my branch in front of the hide but they didn't do this favour for me. One of them just picked a bit the crust of the branch. Unfortunately they couldn't be well photographed because of the grass. They left soon anyway.

Shortly the young shrikes appeared:

Young Red-backed Shrike

Young Red-backed Shrike

Then came the surprise: a bee-eater settled on the branch with it's prey:

Bee-eater

Bee-eater

It didn't stay long, perhaps it was afraid of the shrikes, as I observed there was a kind of rivalry between the bee-eaters and the shrikes for a nice perching place. Close to the hide a couple of bee-eaters digged their nest tunnel in the horizontal soil, however there is a sand wall hereabout.
Shortly the shrikes have returned:

Young Red-backed Shrike

Even a hare appeared nearby coming quite close:

European Hare

The male shrike alighted as well from time to time as usual, ...:

Red-backed Shrike (male)

... but it were the youngs who settled on it most often:

Young Red-backed Shrike

Young Red-backed Shrike

Young Red-backed Shrike

Young Red-backed Shrike

When there were two of them on the branch at the same time quarrels took place often between them:

Young Red-backed Shrike

Young Red-backed Shrike

The youngs often hunted themselves, they picked up different kind of insects in the grass which they ate frequently on the branch:

Young Red-backed Shrike

Young Red-backed Shrike

Young Red-backed Shrike

Young Red-backed Shrike

This bird took the small twig for a worm perhaps:

Young Red-backed Shrike

Red-backed Shrike (male)

Young Red-backed Shrike

Young Red-backed Shrike

Young Red-backed Shrike

Young Red-backed Shrike

Young Red-backed Shrike

Young Red-backed Shrike

Young Red-backed Shrike

Young Red-backed Shrike

Young Red-backed Shrike

Young Red-backed Shrike

Sometimes they alighted on the long stemmed plants as well:

Young Red-backed Shrike

I wouldn't have thought that they use their foot to eat their prey at times:

Young Red-backed Shrike

Young Red-backed Shrike

Young Red-backed Shrike

Young Red-backed Shrikes

Young Red-backed Shrike

Conflict:

Young Red-backed Shrikes

Young Red-backed Shrike

Young Red-backed Shrike