It’s just a guide on a dusty shelf with other bird books in Dad’s study. My Mum is getting shorter so I pull it down and look up “red-backed shrike” in the index. On page 42 there is a delicate watercolour of a grey-blue and brown male, sharp beak, vicious reputation. There are only a few breeding pairs left in Britain. I notice the page is well thumbed and I’m about to say so, but she’s already tearing up. “I saw him in the garden yesterday,” she says with conviction, looking as if I should know what she’s talking about.
Julia Ruth Smith is a teacher who lives by the sea. She's emotional, exaggerated, and has been published in several journals. Find Julia on Twitter @JuliaRuthSmith1.