Mislukte broedpoging van Grauwe Klauwier Lanius collurio in het uiterste noorden van Drenthe

The behaviour of a pair of Red-backed Shrikes was observed from 2-17 July. The nest was situated in a dense hedgerow between a meadow and a field with maize. It is surmised that the birds had just finished egg laying when the observations started. The male and occasionally the female foraged along the hedgerow as well as from fence poles of a nearby corral which was not in use during the observation period. During warm and sunny weather the birds often captured flying insects from higher vantage points. During a spell of cold weather the birds stayed low and favoured foraging on prey at ground level. Probably just before hatching, something went wrong and the birds disappeared from the nesting area. A few days later the nest was checked and found to be empty, without traces of egg(shell)s. Probably, it had been depredated.