The Great-Grey Shrikes in Bowland, Lancashire, UK.

Winter 2002/2003 - by Bill Aspin.

(including a history of Great-Grey Shrike records in and around  the ELOC recording area - by A. A. Cooper)

The winter of 2002/2003 saw a very welcome return to form for this species within the recording area of ELOC, with two birds wintering in Bowland.

The first bird was found by Darwen birders Ian Cameron and Harry Sumner, in clear-fell at the northern end of Stocks Reservoir on 31st October 2002. 

This bird was very well received by birders and remained faithful to the northern end of the Reservoir until 9th November. During the final few days in this area, the Shrike became more elusive as it began to range over a wider area. It is thought that a Pheasant shoot on the 9th prompted the bird to depart this area. 

Fortunately, the Shrike was relocated by Ribchester birder Glynn Anderton on Nov. 10th. The downside being that the bird was now present on private land. Therefore, as far as the website was concerned, any further news unfortunately had to be surpressed whilst it remained in this area, at the request of the Landowner. 

Somewhat frustratingly, the bird remained faithful to this private area for several weeks, until finally seen in roadside bushes along the Slaidburn-Bentham road, nr the entrance to the private track leading to Stocks Fishery, by Lancaster birder Pete Marsh on Dec. 30th! 

The Shrike remaining reasonably faithful to the area of new plantation at Sagar Hill (SD711549), and viewable from the Slaidburn-Bentham road throughout the first half of January at least.

(The above image shows the Shrike shortly after having caught, impaled and decapitated a Goldcrest (Regulus regulus). Moments later the Shrike swallowed the Goldcrests head whole, before tucking into the remaining corpse.)

The Newton G. G. Shrike.

This bird, in total contrast to the stocks bird, really is a mobile and elusive individual. The Shrike was first found by local gamekeeper Jason Bolton along Cowark Rd, Newton, on Friday 15th November 2002, and was still present late afternoon on Sunday 17th November. At the Gamekeepers request, news of the bird had to be withheld until the evening of Monday Nov. 18th, due to a Pheasant shoot taking place on that date, on the land that the Shrike was frequenting. 

As feared, the Shrike was not seen again in this area post-shoot. 

Indeed, there were no further sightings until Dec. 7th, when the bird was re-discovered on roadside wires adj to the B6478, NE of Newton village, with further sightings on 13th and 15th Dec. 

However, it was obvious that this bird was covering a wide area, largely out of public view. With viewing only possible from the road, this bird eluded many would-be observers. 

This Shrike is still presumably somewhere in this area of the Hodder Valley. Hopefully it will be relocated.

(Both images of this bird were taken late afternoon)

A history of Great-Grey Shrike records in the East Lancashire Ornithologists' Club (O.S. Map 103) recording area.

A. A. Cooper.

According to 'The Birds of Lancashire' by Clifford Oakes (published 1953 - so it would not have covered Bowland, which was then in the West Riding - I am afraid I do not have access to any historical records for Yorkshire), the Great Grey Shrike is "A very rare vagrant, which has not been recorded since the early years of the present century."  He goes on to quote 'Birds of Lancashire' by F. S. Mitchell (2nd edition 1892), the only East Lancashire record being one seen by V. Walmesley on 29th November 1897 at Alsprings near Great Harwood.
 
Turning to 'The Status and Distribution of Birds in Lancashire' by Ken Spencer (1973 - just before local government reorganisation, so no Yorkshire records here either), he writes that Oakes overstated its rarity adding "There have been at least sixty since his book appeared in 1953, at an average rate of five per year in the last decade."  Unfortunately he only states where one of these was (at Lytham),  In another of Ken's books 'The Status and Distribution of Birds in the Burnley Area (1977) he mentions "a bird near Barrowford in midwinter 1976 (J. Butcher)."  I think that must be Jeff Butcher, the Methodist Minister from Whalley who ran a YOC group (which I assisted) around that time, but I have no personal recollection of such a sighting.
 
Looking at past Lancashire Bird Reports since Ken's 1973 book:
 
1973 - "There were seven widespread occurrences during the winter months".  
1974 - Similar entry, ten from October onwards.
1975 - "Every quarter of Lancashire had at least one record during the year". 
1976 - 7 occurrences - again no details - presumably includes the Barrowford bird.
1977 - At last some very brief details.  "Singles at ...Rishton and near Clitheroe in January - March".  I even know what the 'near Clitheroe' one refers to, but do not have the exact date.  It was a single at Forest Becks (on the Bolton by Bowland to Wigglesworth road) seen by my son Ashley Cooper and his friend Stephen Fairburn.  I would put Forest Becks down as a possible part of a winter territory including Gisburn Forest.
1978 - Unfortunately no records at all that year.
1979 - one record, not our area.
1980 - ditto.
1981 - ditto again.
 
ELOC Reports started in January 1982:
 
24th October 1982; single bird on the canal bank at East Marton (which was and remains in Yorkshire).
 

Mid-November 1982; single in Bolton Park (i.e. Bolton by Bowland).  Reported to me by the gamekeeper at the time.

 

2nd January 1983; single at Cocklet Hill, Gisburn Forest.  I remember this one, it was seen by former County Recorder Maurice Jones, but I was unable to locate it later.  With the large winter territory held by this species, the last two and possibly the first record might even relate to the same individual.

 
25th January 1986; single on the track to Stephen Park, Gisburn Forest - this one was my find.  Also seen on 26th Jan by D. Jackson, W.C. Aspin, J. Wright, A.S. Disley.
 
29th November 1986; single at Grindleton.  Reported to me by David Wymer.

 

28th February 1987; single at Grindleton Bridge seen by Ernie Ormand.  Two sightings relating to the same bird?
 
One frequented the Stocks area in early 1991: 15 January - Ernie Ormand, 17 February - Paul Holt, 23 and 30 March - John Grundy.
 
24th January 1998; Ernie Ormand (first seen in the car park!), also seen on 25 and 26 January.
 

1st February to 28th March 1998 - single at Wood End Sewage Works, Burnley.  Just possibly the same as the Stocks bird?

As far as I am aware, that is the last ELOC record, prior to the 2002 birds.

 
Casting the East Lancashire net to include Rossendale, 'Rossingdale Birds' (post 1973) and 'Rossendale Birds: Millenium update' (2002), both by Eric Ward, refer to "one being shot at Hareholme in the early years of the 20th century". "A bird, possibly of this species, was seen by Brian Bell at Ewood Bridge Sewage Works, on 24th January 1987", and, 2 were seen at Grane on 25-26th February 1998, by P & R Rishton". There is no mention of this latter record in that years county report.

I also received this email from Frank Jones of Skipton. 

In the email, Frank reminisces finding his very first Great-Grey Shrike at Stocks Res, in Nov 1986, a previously undocumented record. It reads; 

"I have just been reading your very interesting article on East Lancs Great Grey Shrikes and it took me back to the day that I was made redundant, November 14th, 1986. 

I couldn`t collect my redundancy cheque until after 3pm so I decided to go birding and ended up at Stocks. A grey and unpleasant day according to my notes and no sign of the hoped-for Ring necked Duck. So, a little fed up, I set off for home. 

Having rounded the 90 degree bend before the church I ground to a halt for not 20 yards away in a hawthorn to the left of the road was a Great Grey Shrike.

 Being quite a recent convert to birding this was my first-ever GGS. It was flushed by a passing van and settled about 100 yards away in a thornbush on the hillside on the opposite side of the road. I took what now seem quite rudimentary notes but I am sure that had I known what to do with them, they would have proven acceptable to the relevant records committee."

Obviously this article will be updated at a later date to include any final details of this winters G.G. Shrikes.

Many thanks to the Breaks Family for kindly supplying images of both Shrikes, and thanks also to Tony Cooper for enhancing this article no-end, with the historical records.

Bill Aspin (16.01.03)

fishmoor V2.