We haven't seen a Northern Shrike since March. I heard a group of Blue Jays shrieking in our front yard yesterday. When I looked out, this gal was perched in a tree looking around for a meal. She moved on after a few minutes. This morning, I saw her again flying across our horse pasture toward the woods.
This guy is still in the area, but he is staying about a mile down the road. He hangs out by a huge grass field. Rodent hunting must be keeping him satisfied.
This little bandit northern shrike was trying to poach a meal in our feeder area. He was not successful, but all the birds did scramble out of respect for his killer capabilities. A female downy woodpecker decided to stay and hid on the back side of a tree trunk. The shrike flew right past her as she rotated around the tree trunk very deftly, staying on the back side from him all the time. He never saw her -phew!
This northern shrike was here this time last year. All the song birds scrambled as if a hawk was in the area, but it was this little predator. Two chickadees ventured out from cover about 10 feet from him, but he didn't chase them. Guess he figured it wasn't worth his energy - they are too fast.
The shrike spent about 10 minutes looking all around for a potential meal, and then finally flew off. While I have seen one around here a few times over the past 8 years in the summer, this is the first time I have gotten a photo - had to add a new species to the menu list.
While getting my breakfast this morning, I noticed all the songbirds scrambling. I figured a hawk was coming through, but instead I saw this shrike in the crabapple tree.
Bird Species
