Dutch Birding volume 36 (2014) no 3

Steppe Grey Shrike at Maasvlakte in April-May 2014

From 29 April to 3 May 2014, a Steppe Grey Shrike Lanius lahtora pallidirostris stayed at Stuifdijk, Maasvlakte, Zuid-Holland, the Netherlands. The bird was most probably a second-calendar-year. Great Grey Shrike L excubitor, Lesser Grey Shrike L minor and other Palearctic grey shrike taxa were ruled out by, eg, the overall pale greyish plumage with slight buffish tinge on underparts, the absence of a dark lore, much white in the outer pair of tail-feathers, the relatively long primary projection (compared with Great Grey) and the large white primary patch (with some white present but hardly visible on the secondaries). The bill was all-black (first-year Steppe Grey shows a largely pale bill but it can become fully dark in older birds). If accepted, this is the third record for the Netherlands, after birds on 4-23 September 1994 and from 27 October to 9 November 2012, both on Texel, Noord-Holland. Up to 2012, there have been 73 records in Europe, most in autumn (August-December) and 12 in spring (March-June), including just two in western Europe (both in Britain).

Mark Benders, Lodderdijk 38a, 5421 XB Gemert, Nederland
(infostarobv.nl)
Garry Bakker, Dahliastraat 33, 2761 HB, Zevenhuizen, Nederland
(garry.bakkergmail.com)