This first winter Isabelline Shrike Lanius isabellinus was found in a garden at Herdlevær near Bergen in western Norway on 15 November 2003. It was hunting for prey on the ground, and managed to catch a Winter Wren Troglodytes troglodytes just before dark. At times it was very skulky, and hid beneath dense shrubbery. It was gone the following morning.
There were only eight Norwegian records up to 2002, and this was the second for Hordaland county. The previous records include four birds in May or June, and four autumn birds from late september to early november. This bird is actually the latest ever to be found in Norway, and only the second in its first calendar year.
 The Isabelline Shrike was a stunning bird that was only seen for a few afternoon hours 15 November 2013. |  The shrike often sat just above the ground in dense shrubbery. It was from this position it caught and killed a Wren. |  Only eight birders managed to see the shrike, and here are four of them: Julian Bell, Arild Breistøl, Egil and Laila Frantzen. |
Update: The bird was submitted as a Turkestan Shrike Lanius isabellinus phoenicuroides. The national rarities committee NSKF has accepted the record as a first winter Isabelline Shrike, but have hesitated to link the bird to a subspecific level.
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