From the archives: .

Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator badius at Great Cressingham July 1995

On 3rd July 1995, I decided on an early morning visit to the Peddars Way at Great Cressingham, I parked at the Watton Road crossroads and concentrated my birding efforts along the Peddars Way north of the Watton Road to as far as the Priory Road junction, however, my walk did not quite go to plan.

As I got out of the car I saw an interesting bird perched on the old wooden Watton to Great Cressingham road sign.  From this sign the bird flew down to a puddle on the side of the road to bathe, straight away I could see this was a Woodchat Shrike.  It was not until some time later that I learnt that this bird was the Balearic form Badius, I also became aware that this stunning bird had actually been reported the day before by another local birder.

Throughout it's stay, the Shrike was seen between the Peddars Way and Watton Road crossroads north along the Peddars Way to as far as a woodland belt running west from the road.  It was in the Larch pictured here that the bird was occasionally seen. Fence posts, hedges, trees, and a road sign were all used for lookouts and to hunt from.  A particular delicacy was bumble bees, from it's perch the Woodchat Shrike made flycatching sallies and bring the prey back to the perch for consuming.  Although not witnessed by myself, the Shrike would impale food on a thorn or barbed wire for returning to later when needed, such behaviour has earnt Shrikes the name of 'Butcher Bird'.

The Woodchat Shrike is about 7 inches in length and as with other Shrikes, it has an appearance of a small bird of prey, although it is fact a song bird.  The beak is hooked, this is used for tearing up prey, it is essentially a striking black and white bird with a chestnut cap and nape.  I was later to find out this bird was the Balearic form badius, it was identified by the lack of a white wing patch seen in other forms.

This beautiful Larch tree along the Peddars Way is where the Woodchat Shrike occasionally visited, it was seen mostly up in the crown of the tree.

This Woodchat Shrike remained in the area until the 5th July and as of 1995, I believe this was only the third example of the Balearic form badius to have reached the British Isles.  I have seen this form on Majorca, this included finding a pair with young in a Larch, or similar tree species.