The almighty Great Grey Shrike…

Ιt was a beautiful summer day that we set off for the woods. Never had I ever been so excited for a trip. We were on our way to capture the almighty Great Grey Shrike. We arrived at noon. The car ride was exhausting but we were in good spirits. We advanced further and further into the forested terrain.

The dense canopy of the trees provided us with a good shade and blocked the blazing sun. However, because of that and the thrill of the hunt, it was too late until we realized that the sky had darkened, the moon was shining bright and a thick ominous fog had spread across the place. Then we decided to make for our car but it turned out that we were utterly lost. We were going around in circles in the uncharted territory. Then suddenly, a flock of birds appeared.

It was the Shrike! I was amazed! But that didn’t last long. The birds weren’t as welcoming as we had expected. We were under attack! We were left no other option but to run. I had never been so frightened before. There was a strange feel behind the weird behavior of the birds. It was as if a strange dark force of the forest had unleashed all its fury against us. We were almost literally being ousted from the hostile forest. Simultaneously, the wind started to pick up, going heavy on us. Thankfully we saw lights in the distance and immediately rushed for them. It was the road lights! I was finally relieved. We couldn’t believe what had happened.

We silently got into the car. Not a word was exchanged during our going home. We went for a drink. Then my friend decided to look through his camera photos. His intention was just to kill some time but what he found out was the highlight of our day. He had photographed the flock! It turns out the capture button had been accidentally pressed while we were running. And the fog, luminous by the majesty of the full moon, helped create one of the best pictures I’ve ever seen.

Γιάννης Μανουσάκης, Αλέξανδρος Μανάβης, Γιώργος Προβατάρης (Β3)

A Forest, The Cure