The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Graham Catley and Josh's remarks on Kestrel predation are interesting. In the steppe areas of Southern Spain there is a high wintering Kestrel population and it was during this season that we noted the occasional remains of Southern Grey Shrike. A reprieve for the Sparrowhawk? or a Ph.D for an aspiring ornithologist?

Richard......

Whilst at the shrike site on Friday morning from 0900 to 1000 (no sign of it by the way!) I was approached by the landowner who believed the shrike had been taken by a predator and he showed me a handful of feathers which he thought might have been the remains of the bird. I thought the feathers were much too large for a shrike and this was confirmed when I checked them against "Tracks and Signs of the Birds of Britain and Europe". They were more likely to have come from a Wood Pigeon or similar sized bird. Unless anyone knows any different there is nothing to confirm the bird has been predated. Better to blame the recent cold snap I think.

On a happier note the landowner was well pleased with the behaviour of most birders, the amount of money raised and photos of the shrike are now happily adorning a number of local Christmas cards!!

Nige

Despite my hastily penned 'In Memoriam' on LBC Bird Chat, I fervently trust that reports of the Steppe Grey Shrike's presumed demise have been grossly exaggerated! Let's hope it is still around somewhere and will be relocated soon.

Regards,

Freddy

Well, I hope so as well, but in reality, I think there's a very slim chance.

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Alastair Carr

Where there is a will, there is a way....

Make of it what you will but Brian Irvine posted this on Birdguides:

"At 4.00 Wed 26/11/2008. I was the last to leave, as I was getting in my car near the bridge I watched a Sparrowhawk flying from the field where I had last seen Steppe."

Thanks
Nick

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www.nickclayton.co.uk

PMA

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GETTING OLD HAS IT'S ADVANTAGES BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE lol

In summary then -- no definite evidence that the bird died on site -- the cold spell may have a) pushed it into moving on or b) it died of starvation or c) it may have been killed
a good mystery unless anyone finds anything definitive

Graham, supposition b (starvation) seems a bit unlikely with all the meal worms it was fed

Just had this from the BTO:

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Might be worth posting something up about these feathers (posted to the BTO last week Andrew), which arrived in the post today. Two things... they are definitely not Steppe Grey Shrike feathers (far to big), but we're not sure what they're from. Could be Stock Dove, but some very interesting looking tertials..... Secondly, these were bitten off by a Fox rather than plucked by a bird of prey.

So no evidence the bird was predated as far as we're concerned.

Cheers for now

Mark Grantham
Population Biologist
British Trust for Ornithology

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Andrew Chick
Website: http://www.forktail.co.uk/

First off, at least you got a reply from the BTO, I contacted them a few weeks ago on a different matter and never got a reply, seems they must have a full quota of volunteers

Secondly, after reading Mark's reply it may just be the Steppe is alive and kicking

John

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GETTING OLD HAS IT'S ADVANTAGES BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE lol

Max,
You say that it may just be possible the Steppe is alive and kicking, or perhaps it is alive and clawing. Knowing what a phenomenon it is, I now have this picture in my mind of the Steppe being relocated with a pile of Sparrowhawk or Kestrel feathers nearby.
(The "IN MEMORIAM" can wait).

Regards,

Freddy

Freddy,

Because I'm a sentimental old so and so I prefer to think the Steppe is alive rather than deceased. It was hard enough to bear when the American Robin snuffed it.

Max

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GETTING OLD HAS IT'S ADVANTAGES BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE lol

Max,
I'm with you 100% there. It's not impossible ( although probably unlikely ) that the Shrike could be relocated somewhere. What a comeback appearance that would be, though! Better than any of those past Frank Sinatra 'final' returns.

Regards,

Freddy
PS The last sighting of the Shrike was a week ago today, Wednesday 26 November.

Dear Shrike,

Feeders replenished in my garden - fancy a nibble on some sunflower hearts?

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Katherine,
To attract the Shrike you would have to empty out the Sunflower seeds and replenish your feeders with a varied (live) assortment of eg. Beetles, Small Birds, Mice, Voles, Lizards, (Lizards are hard to come by in December, I know) and large Insects. But you needn't bother with Snakes (I know you hate them) as they don't seem to be part of its feeding range.

Regards,

Freddy