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| Two shrews and a Blue Tit fall victim to a Great Grey Shrike |
Great Grey Shrikes used to be rare but regular winter visitors to Britain, but, in recent years, sightings have become far fewer. As a result, many birders have this week made the visit to Fillingham, near Gainsborough, in Lincolnshire where one has been providing good views. This is the intriguing description of the species by John Gould in his masterpiece, The Birds of Great Britain, published in 1873.
THOSE of my readers who have travelled over the long straight roads of Germany and France before the days of the Eisenbahn and Chemin de fer must have frequently seen a Magpie-looking bird perched on an exposed branch of a mountain-ash, an apple or a walnut-tree.
Or, should their eyes have scanned the open flat fields, the would have observed such a bird sitting upright on a twig or small bush and have remarked that, as they approached, it flew off to the next tree, and, as they proceeded along the interminable straight road, it flitted before them for perhaps a mile, and then, taking to the open, abruptly turned back again to the point whence it started.
This was the Great Grey Shrike, a solitary bird which is neither common nor scarce, and which, if not intruded upon, remains in the same district, and almost confines itself to the same branch for days together.
Hence it sallies forth to capture any passing insect, mouse or shrew, or to make a foray among the branches of the neighbouring trees in pursuit of tits or any other small birds it can master.
While perched, the solitary 'butcherbird' jerks its tail from side to side, sometimes uttering its own harsh cry, at others obscurely imitating the notes of other birds.
Along the thorny-hedge-bordered roads of this country, as along the lengthened lines of apple-trees seen on the continent, the bird exhibits the same habits and actions, which, while they are common to it and the other shrikes, are both peculiar and different from those of all other small birds.
Frequently does the Great Grey Shrike take up its abode in the low trees of a copse, a cluster of thorns, an open field or in the midst of a pleasure-ground, and there remain, if unmolested, until nature prompts it to seek countries better suited for breeding in.
The Duke of Argyll informs me that one took up a conspicuous position in the pleasure-grounds of his seat at Inverary, and, as usual, became the terror of all the small birds therein.
I do not venture to affirm that this bird never breeds in the British Islands, but I believe that many of the nests brought to the metropolis as those of this species are really not so.
Few, indeed, are the authentic instances of its passing the summer and breeding with us, and it must therefore, in my opinion, be regarded as an occasional visitor rather than as a stationary species.
Still, there is not a district in the three kingdoms that has not at one time or another been favoured with its presence.
Formerly it was considered to be identical with the Lanius borealis of America, but this is not, I believe, correct.
Naturalists now consider the area of its range to be limited to the north and north-western portions of Europe, Morocco, and Algeria.
In India it is certainly not found, its place being there supplied by the Lanius lahioro.
Considerable difference occurs in the colouring of Norwegian, French and Swiss examples.
The latter are much lighter in the general tone of colour, and have the white patch on the scapularies much more distinct than the others.
On the other hand, Lapland specimens, of which I have three now before me, are particularly dark in their colouring.
No one, however, hasventured to regard them as two species, and I shall content myself with having pointed out their differences.
"This species," says Macgillivray, "preys upon insects of various kinds, frogs, lizards, small birds and quadropeds which, after killing them by repeated blows of its bill, generally inflicted upon the head, it affixes to a thorn or jams into the fork of a branch that it may be enabled to tear them up into small morsels.
Sometimes, however, it stands upon its prey, like a Hawk, keeping it down with its feet while it breaks it up and not bestowing much care in clearing it of the hair or feathers, which, with the undigested parts of insects, it afterwards ejects in pellets.
What remains after it is satisfied it hangs up, and this habit, together with its slaughtering-propensity, has obtained for it the not inappropriate name of 'butcherbird'.
Selecting a station on a twig or decayed branch, it sallies forth in pursuit of insects which happen to pass near; and it is probably from its remaining so perched for a long time that it has obtained the name of 'excubitor', or 'the sentinel'
Another explanation for this appellation has reference to its being employed on the continent in trapping hawks, when, being fastened to the ground, it apprises the falconer, by its loud screams, of the approach of a bird.
Its flight is undulating or performed in a waving line, and, when searching for prey, it occasionally hovers in the manner of a hawk.
Although it is generally represented as carrying its prey in its bill, it appears that it sometimes employs its feet for that purpose
Its ordinary notes resemble the syllables twee, wee, pronounced loudly and sharply, and, in anger, it screams like a hawk.
However, it emits various sounds and is said to imitate the notes and cries of many of the smaller birds for the purpose of attracting them.
On the continent it places its nest, which is very large, in the fork of a branch at a considerable height from the ground, forming it of moss and stems of dry grass and lining it with wool and hair.
The eggs are from five to eight in number, of a greyish-white, marked toward tbe larger end with spots of reddish-brown and greyish-purple.
They defend their nest against crows and hawks with admirable courage and skill, so as to put to flight birds possessed of ten times their strength.
Although individuals have been found with us at all times of the year, it has not been observed to breed in this country.
It is not uncommon in France where it remains all the year, generally keeping to the woods in summer and autumn, but approaching inhabited places in winter, and thus appearing to he more numerous at that season.
It is found as far south as Spain and Italy, and extends northward to Sweden, Russia, Norway, and Lapland, but leaves those countries at the approach of winter.
In England, its migrations are very irregular.
It has been killed in Suffolk in January, April, May and July; in Norfolk in the autumn ; and one frequented a thick thorn hedge near Mr. Hoy’s house at Higham, in December, but was so shy, that it could not be approached within gunshot.
On examining the hedge, Mr. Hoy found three frogs and as many mice, spitted on the thorns.
He therefore set six very small steel traps, each baited with a mouse. On the following day two of the traps were found sprung, and the bait gone.
By watching in concealment, Mr. Hoy soon afterwards observed the shrike dart down to a bait perpendicularly, but not quick enough to escape, as it was caught hy two of its toes.
The bird was carried alive to the house and placed in a room in which a thorn bush was fixed, and some mice given to it.
It was observed, through a hole, to spit the mouse upon a thorn with the greatest quickness and adroitness.
A writer in the Naturalist says: "I can testify to the power assigned to this bird by some naturalists of varying its notes, or rather imitating those of other birds.
"Not exactly, indeed; for my first acquaintance with the 'butcherbird' was occasioned by my hearing notes not entirely familiar to me, though much resembling those of the Stonechat.
"Following the sound, I soon discovered the utterer, and, while listening, to my surprise, the original notes were discarded and others adopted of a softer and more melodious character, never, however, prolonged to anything like a continuous song.
"Its grave ash-coloured garb, with its peculiar black patch on the cheek, soon convinced me that my unknown friend was the 'butcherbird', that petty tyrant of its neighbourhood, carrying on incessant warfare and wanton waste of life amongst the small fry of the Passerine order, and whose warcry was wont to put all minor warblers to flight."
