The Great Grey Shrike was last reported on the 9th December on Bonsall Moor but I felt that there was a good chance it was still somewhere in the area. Once a shrike establishes a winter territory they are usually faithful to it, only leaving when they start the journey back to the breeding area.
I've returned 4 or 5 times since to look for it without success but this morning I got lucky and saw it sat on top of a hawthorn bush just off the rough track below the Motocross circuit, just 1.5km from where I originally found it. Presumably it's been in this are since early December and hopefully now it will be seen a bit more regularly.
I don't think there is any doubt that it is the same bird that was seen on Bonsall Moor in January 2021 having been first located on Farley Moor in November 2020. It shows the same pale rump and white in the secondaries that indicated that this bird could be of the eastern European race homeyeri. I did a write up on the bird on my Wildlife Diaries blog. I'll be looking out for photographs of the spread tail if anyone manages to get one which may help confirm its racial identity.
It has clearly eaten recently, perhaps a small bird or mouse, as there is blood staining its lower breast as can be seen on the photo below.
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| Great Grey Shrike |
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