Great grey shrike

The grey shrike.

That bold, fearless bird, the great grey shrike, Lanius excubitor, visits us in scanty numbers with autumnal immigrants, who, if they manage to cross the seas in anything like amity, speedily get to cross purposes on arrival.

Master Lanius invariably arrives hungry, and it is not the fault of the bird catchers, whose decoy birds often attract his attention on his appearance, if he comes to grief in the meshes of a clap net.

One was brought me by a countryman in November 1889, who had unwittingly taken it in a spring cage trap into which it had dashed after a lark placed in the closed compartment.

But he is watching us, and takes to wing, disappearing in the orchard.

It is a great grey shrike, or butcher bird.

Lanius excubitor, the sentinel butcher, as his Latin cognomen denotes, is expressive of his habits and his occupation.

Here is a poor little wren he has impaled upon a thorn.

We have disturbed him at his repast.

But he is watching us, and takes to wing, disappearing in the orchard.

It is a great grey shrike, or butcher bird.

Lanius excubitor, the sentinel butcher, as his Latin cognomen denotes, is expressive of his habits and his occupation.

Here is a poor little wren he has impaled upon a thorn.

We have disturbed him at his repast.

But he is watching us, and takes to wing, disappearing in the orchard.

It is a great grey shrike, or butcher bird.

Lanius excubitor, the sentinel butcher, as his Latin cognomen denotes, is expressive of his habits and his occupation.

Here is a poor little wren he has impaled upon a thorn.

We have disturbed him at his repast.

But the supposed empty bivalves suddenly closed as the birds, on an alarm being sounded by a sentry bird, wheeled and ran, and directly afterwards took to flight.

The Grey Shrike That bold, fearless bird, the great grey shrike, Lanius excubitor, visits us in scanty numbers with autumnal immigrants, who, if they manage to cross the seas in anything like amity, speedily get to cross purposes on arrival.

Master Lanius invariably arrives hungry, and it is not the fault of the bird catchers, whose decoy birds often attract his attention on his appearance, if he comes to grief in the meshes of a clap net.

One was brought me by a countryman in November 1889, who had unwittingly taken it in a spring cage trap into which it had dashed after a lark placed in the closed compartment.

This it managed to secure somehow, devouring it at once.

On the 26th of October 1900, a hungry great grey shrike, evidently but just arrived, alighted on a tree in the heart of the town.

Presently it flew at and struck a sparrow, with which it returned to its perch.

The shrieking of the unfortunate finch attracting quite an assemblage of onlookers, before whose eyes it tore its victim to pieces and made a hasty meal of it, flying away unmolested a few minutes after.

But he is watching us, and takes to wing, disappearing in the orchard.

It is a great grey shrike, or butcher bird.

Lanius excubitor, the sentinel butcher, as his Latin cognomen denotes, is expressive of his habits and his occupation.

Here is a poor little wren he has impaled upon a thorn.

We have disturbed him at his repast.