Red-backed Shrikes back in Devon

[Adam Cheeseman]

Second year running, Red-backed Shrikes have bred on a secret site on Dartmoor.

Red-backed Shrike breeds on Dartmoor | Birdwatch Magazine

Cheers,

Adam

[RoyW]

This is one species which may benefit from warmer summers - though perhaps not the wet ones that we seem to be getting!

[aeshna5]

Excellent news- I saw this flagged up on Bird Guides yesterday.

[JeffH]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

Excellent news- I saw this flagged up on Bird Guides yesterday.

Yes indeed - me too

Jeff
(Schedule 1 Licence holder for Kingfishers, Barn Owls and Avocets)

[Ukwildlifeo]

Can only be good news.

[King Edward]

Originally Posted by RoyW

This is one species which may benefit from warmer summers - though perhaps not the wet ones that we seem to be getting!

Maybe the Shrikes should move to Herefordshire - no sign of a wet summer here (not too warm though).

More seriously, I see from the news story:

The birds were protected by a team of RSPB staff and volunteers from Dartmoor Study Group, Devon Bird Watching and Preservation Society and RSPB who spent thousands of hours guarding the birds day and night in all weathers. The protection scheme also involved the Forestry Commission, Natural England, Devon and Cornwall Police and Dartmoor National Park Authority.

While it is of course excellent news that a pair of these birds has returned to breed again in Britain, and it is utterly deplorable that egg collectors would rob the nest, is it really a good use of time, attention and money to spend so much on protecting two pairs of an extremely common European species (6 million or so pairs) right on the edge of its range here?

[Adam Cheeseman]

Originally Posted by King Edward

While it is of course excellent news that a pair of these birds has returned to breed again in Britain, and it is utterly deplorable that egg collectors would rob the nest, is it really a good use of time, attention and money to spend so much on protecting two pairs of an extremely common European species (6 million or so pairs) right on the edge of its range here?

Yes.

[Adam Cheeseman]

and it's 2 pairs.