Page 69 - Demo

May 2026 | Gazette Life | 69the chorus became loud and sustained, I found it atmospheric, but some neighbours did not. One complained that she %u2018couldn%u2019t hear her dogs%u2019 - quite why the howls of those rather neglected animals was desired left me puzzled, but objections continued. Someone even poured a tub of bleach into the pond but it had little effect. The only thing that reduced the disturbance was the growth of my trees and shrubs which helped dampen the noise.That was until a shrike acquired a taste for frog%u2019s legs (and the rest of the creatures). The shrike, now sadly extinct in the UK, remains common in the Canary Islands where it is an efficient predator of insects, lizards and small vertebrates. It is a lovely bird which looks quite gentle - until you notice the deadly stiletto curving from its upper beak. Unlike most raptors, the shrike lacks grasping claws, so it impales its prey on any suitable spike before feasting in a most indelicate way, earning it the name %u2018butcher bird%u2019 (its Latin name Lanius means %u201cbutcher%u201d).For years, a resident shrike frequented the garden, feeding mainly on lizards and large insects. Then, about a decade ago, its behaviour shifted. It began targeting frogs, whose calls conveniently revealed their location. I watched it fly between perch and pond, systematically removing individuals. The effect on the frog population was rapid and severe, and in recent years the garden has been noticeably quieter, much to the neighbour%u2019s relief.Shrikes evidently find frogs entirely edible, while tougher bits of some prey, such as the heads of lizards, get left behind on spiky plants. Showing an impaled lizard skull to a visiting friend who grew up in Puerto del Carmen got an unexpected response; %u201cOh! That makes me really happy!%u201d My puzzlement evaporated as he explained how in the %u2018malpais%u2019 behind the strip in Puerto, there was a huge overgrown cactus that scared him as a kid because its spikes were decorated with sun-bleached lizard skulls.Understanding the role of the shrike had solved a long-standing and unsettling mystery for my friend, who, until then, had imagined that some sadistic child had been catching and decapitating lizards to make that macabre artwork. A grey shrike: %u201cthe butcher bird%u201d.Find out more about David%u2019s garden at harialanzarote.com%u2022 Maintenance for communities, hotels, private homes, etc.%u2022 Design, creation and maintenance of all types of garden (small and large)%u2022 Swimming pools maintenancewww.mandragoragarden.com %u2022 mandragoragarden@yahoo.es %u2022 Tel.: 659 81 27 53%u2022 Tree and palm pruning%u2022 Installation of automatic watering system%u2022 Low maintenance gardens %u2022 Cleaning of fincas and garden maintenance %u2022 Construction and design of barbeques, Thai beds, benches, paths, entrances, fountains, terraces, etc.%u2022 SPECIALISTS IN NATURAL & HIGH QUALITY ARTIFICIAL GRASS