Northern Shrike

[Shortsighted]

I spotted a shrike again this morning and it was far away from where I was stationed.  I took a few shots of it nonetheless.  This was on the York/Durham Line south of Concession Rd. #3.  I spotted a shrike, no doubt the same bird, on Sideline 34.  Once it was at the top of a thin tree and took flight as my car crept in its direction.  The second time it flew right across the muddy sideline, maybe 5 meters above the ground, and disappeared behind the sideline shrubs to the east.

From the shot where the shrike is looking in my direction it seemed to resemble a Loggerhead shrike, but the shot from the side shows that it is a Northern shrike.  This would make sense because the later is much more common.




Northern shrike (heavily cropped)  600mm f8

[Shortsighted]

Early this morning I spotted another N. shrike at the top of a small tree.  As usual, the shrike was into the sun from the direction of my approach.  I therefore exited my car and proceeded on foot in true birding fashion until I was on the other side of the tree.  I could not position myself to get the sun directly behind me so I had to settle for side-lighting.  This shrike appears to be a juvenile bird.  It eventually flew downward into a roadside bush on the sunlit side.  I thought that it might be nesting so I routed around the bushes into the field and had a look.  Nothing to report.  Some of the bushes had thorns, or at least the next best thing.  Makes sense.


Heavy crop


FOY Song sparrow ... singing

[Shortsighted]

Heading home after a quick check of the rural neighbourhood I spotted a shrike again.  I pulled over.  I tried to get out of my car with my camera in hand and the strap got caught on the seat belt clamp.  Usually it gets caught on the shift lever.  After I finally get the strap extricated and force the door open against the wind, after checking for approaching cars, I slowly made it out into the open only to notice that my mail, which was in the door's inner cubbyhole, fell onto the road and I needed to pick it up before the wind redirected it.  When all those chores were done I managed a few shots before a car did indeed approach, at speed, and spooked the shrike back into flight over the adjacent field.

[Shortsighted]

This morning an adult shrike.  By the absence of barring on the breast and the continuity of the mask across the bill I'm guess it's a Loggerhead shrike on this occasion.


Loggerhead shrike


Continuity of mask across beak




Shrike ejecting an undigested bolus ... eee-gads!