Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 12:14:06 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Tyler Bell Subject: Northern Shrike, Pax River NAS, 2/3 (& oriole) Comments: To: voice@capaccess.org, MD-SMAS-GENERAL@LIST.AUDUBON.ORG Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Jane and I ventured on base on Saturday afternoon around 3 pm. Our firststop was at Goose Creek where there were about 40 or 50 Dunlin and about adozen Sanderlings easily seen from the road while on the bridge. Next we drove toward the Natural Resources office in search or theNorthern Shrike found earlier in the week by Kyle Rambo. We spied a palebird in a cherry tree tuck its wings and drop like a rock out of sight. Itlooked pretty likely this was the bird. We parked and walked back from theoffice and the bird was back in the same tree. This time, we had leisurelylooks at the Northern Shrike and even got some video from a brokencamcorder I borrowed from work. We put the camera to the eyepiece of ourscope and you can clearly see the long bill with the probounced hook atthe tip as well as the pale lower mandible. The bird dove again and flewback into the tree while I was out of sight. When I returned it had flowninto the heavy brambles at the base of the tree where we heard it callonce. A sharp CRAAAA, kind of like a red-tailed hawk only deeper andharsher. Patty Craig and Anne Bishop saw the shrike Sunday at around 11. If you have base access, go to the Natural Resources office then walkalong the road back toward the Bay. There is a corn field on the left anda hedge row of multiflora rose separating the field from the road. At thecorner of the field is the cherry tree but it has been seen at variouslocations along the edge of the field as well as near the buildings oneither side of the Natural Resources office. BTW, there are lots ofmockingbirds around. Always seems like there are more of them when you'relooking for a shrike! If anyone is interested in seeing this bird, you will need to be escortedon base by Kyle Rambo or one of the Natural Resources personnel. Call Kyleat 301-342-3670. The Baltimore Oriole that I found on Thursday was at the feeder (JeffersonPatterson Park in St. Leonard, Calvert County) again Friday and Monday. Tyler Bell mailto:bell@acnatsci.org California, MD http://list.audubon.org/archives/de-birds.html http://list.audubon.org/archives/nd-birds.html ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================