Hi birders, Had a Northern Shrike in the back yard this afternoon. I was able to get my spotting scope on it from about thirty-five feet. It appeared to be what the Sibley guide calls a gray 1st winter. The Downy Woodpecker at my suet feeder froze and was able to remain undetected.
A few years ago I watched a Shrike chase a Junco several laps around a large shrub in the yard. The Junco made a break for it and the Shrike quickly plucked it from the air, dropped to the snow, and ate most of it. I was surprised at the almost Accipiter-like maneuverability of the Shrike. We had two Northern Shrikes in the yard yesterday. When the second one appeared the first one chased it off through the woods. Good birding, Paul Gunderson Big Lake Township Sherburne County ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
