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Re: Loggerhead Shrike, Washington County, and other notes

From:

Ronald Gutberlet

Reply-To:

Ronald Gutberlet

Date:

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 11:25:43 -0500

Hi Everyone,

I was able to see the LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE yesterday (14 Jan 2010) between 12:30 and 1:30 pm very near the location that Wallace described for us so well (see his directions below).  I did not see the shrike during an earlier attempt (10:35-11:00am).  I got some distant digiscopes in bad light, but at least the bill and head proportions can be assessed, and I think at least one picture is ok for seeing that the black mask extends above the eye.  Barry Marts stopped by while I was there, and we both got decent scope views of the bird.  A state trooper also stopped by to ask the obvious question: "What are you doing?"  I explained, and he was satisfied (though perhaps skeptical about the way I'd chosen to spend a Thursday afternoon).  Someone had called to report my suspicious behavior.  Unfortunately, the shrike was at times close to a farmhouse, and while I was careful never to point the scope at the house, I suspect that from a distance I appeared to be doing just that.

While I was there, the shrike was slightly east of the tree described by Wallace.  It was perching on wires between the telephone poles along a gravel driveway south of Rt 40.  These wires and the driveway are perpindicular to Rt 40 and are on the hill that overlooks the field with the previously described tree.  The driveway is opposite a sign that says "12300 Burkholder Ln".

Thanks to Brad for finding this bird and to everyone else who has kept the information flowing.

Other Washington County highlights for me yesterday included:

Merlin--1 at Williamsport
American Tree Sparrow--1 below the dam at Blairs Valley Lake (which is beside Blairs Valley Rd)

The Potomac was almost completely open at Williamsport (with some ice sheets floating downriver), and Blairs Valley Lake was completely frozen--someone was even ice fishing on it.

Thanks to timely information from Jim Green about the lack of the Red-Throated Loon at Riley's Lock in the morning, I altered my post-shrike plans.

On the way back to Salisbury, I stopped at Brighton Dam.  Canada Geese and American Black Ducks were on the ice on the Montgomery side, and just before 5 pm a male COMMON GOLDENEYE flew from somewhere below the dam and over the middle of the lake, continuing to the north and out of sight.  The bird appeared to traverse both Mont Co and Ho Co airspace--bonus!

Have fun,

Ron Gutberlet
Salisbury, MD
 





>>> Wallace Kornack <> 1/13/2010 2:31 PM >>>
Thanks to Brad Lanning I was able to get to exact location for the Shrike.  The bird I saw this morning is a Loggerhead Shrike.  I was able to view the bird through my scope at a distance of about 300 feet from the roadway for about five minutes.  In addition to the features in common with a Northern Shrike, It had, on the other hand, a broad black mask that extended above the eye and a thin white line above it.  Its beak was all black but I did notice its hook. I did not see any barring on the breast and overall the bird appeared quite compact.

I located the Shrike at 9:20 AM in a small tree next to a Cedar and a small pile of large rocks in a corn field about 300 feet south of Route 40.  A good reference point is the Del-Mar Inn (16715 National Pike--Rte 40); the tree is 0.3 miles east of the Inn ( or 12 telephone poles from the Inn).  

Have Fun Birding!

Wallace Kornack
Washington DC