RED-BACKED SHRIKES AT COLCHESTER 277
June 20th. The cock was twice observed bringing food to the
sitting hen who sits tighter each day.
June 21st. The cock was seen battering a large green caterpillar
against a branch with its beak. Its habitual perches on
the floor of the pit included sallow, willows and the many
strengthening rods which protrude from the broken con-
crete slabs. Many pellets were found beneath these
perches.
June 22nd. The cock was observed tearing mouthfuls from a
large beetle which it held to the branch between its feet.
Cloths were placed beneath three perches to catch the
pellets.
June 26th. The hen was seen with the cock foraging for food
just after dawn. No pellets were found on the cloths,
which may have disturbed the cock. A sparrow was
attacked by the cock, which uttered a harsh trisyllabic
warning note.
June 27th. In spite of meticulous searches no pellets were found
since the 24th. On a large concrete slab and under a pine
tree near the pit fence several holed snail shells were found
with the snails extracted. Several pieces of snailshell have
been found in the pellets so far.
June 29th. The droppings from beneath the favourite perches
of the cock were examined. Since (to the best of the
writer's knowledge) the pellets stopped, the droppings be-
came extremely bulky and copious. The cock was observed
excreting one of these droppings whilst on a fence post.
June 30th. An afternoon visit to the nest showed that 2 of the
3 eggs had hatched (141/2 days incubation). The hen was
extremely agitated during the visit and hopped around the
tree uttering penetrating Whitethroat-like alarm notes.
The cock was seen driving off a Blackbird from the nest
site.
July 1st. Whilst two more snail sites, discovered to-day, were
being watched the cock was seen holing and eating two
snails at the first. Both sites were on concrete slabs.
July 11th. The young were feathering well. The third egg was
infertile. The cock drove away a Woodpigeon from the
nest site.
July 14th. The young flew. The hen marshalled them into the
central copse where they stayed all day. If they were
approached the parents united in a chattering warning
chorus.
July 16th. The parents were observed frenziedly attacking a
young Cuckoo (fledged from a nearby Dunnock's nest),
driving it from the central copse.
August 2nd. The young Shrikes left their nursery and were
escorted by their parents out of the pit.
August 7th. The cock was seen for the last time on a concrete
fencepost.