Hi Folks,

This afternoon Bill Hubick and I headed out to Washington County to try for
the shrike, originally found by Hugh Mahanes on 28 Dec 04.  We were
initially fooled by a N. Mockingbird, as we drove past a particular fence
row on Shaffer Rd. (south of Williamsport and west of Antietam Battlefield),
but after driving down the road and returning to the same location, there
was the shrike sitting on a fencepost only a few feet from where we had seen
the mocker.  As soon as we got a scope set up on it, it flew and got into a
tussle with the mockingbird.  The two birds then perched side by side on a
wire, which provided a nice comparison in the scope.  Bill watched the
shrike devour a worm.  We had a good ten-minute study of the bird in the
scope.  The NGS guide better depicts this particular bird than does Sibley.
It had a clear hook at the end of the bill, but had the stubby bill, thicker
mask, and grayer back to distinguish it from the similar Northern Shrike.
The shrike was seen along the entry road to the farm with address 16611, and
easily viewed from the main road.  Also seen along the same road were 8 or
10 White-crowned Sparrows, among the more common White-throats and juncos.
A Brown Creeper was also a nice addition to the afternoon list.

A stop at Big Pool was somewhat disappointing.  Besides the usual Canada
Geese and Mallards, the only waterfowl were about 40 Am. Black Ducks and
about 70 Common Mergansers.  An adult Bald Eagle perched over the pond, and
all six common woodpeckers (no red-head today) were a nice diversion from
the paucity of waterbirds.

Stan Arnold
Glen Burnie