Confirmed that the bird is a Northern Shrike.  The mask was definitively narrow, widening some toward the back of the cheek and angling downward, but barely encompassing the eye.  The bill and head profile are Northern-like, and the mantle color is also too light for a Loggerhead.Somewhat bummed, b/c I was looking forward to MD bird 293 in the hopes of still making 300 by year's end.  As a result, I'm still stuck at 292.  However, Northern Shrike was an ABA year bird for me, whereas Loggerhead would not have been.  Also picked up two additional county birds:  American Pipit (flyover) and flushed an American Woodcock in one of the hedgerows.Great day!
Ross GeredienAnnapolis/Edgewater

--- On Thu, 11/11/10, Kurt R. Schwarz <> wrote:

From: Kurt R. Schwarz <>
Subject: [MDOSPREY] Baltimore County Northern Shrike
To: 
Date: Thursday, November 11, 2010, 3:19 PM

The bird is showing nicely, at least it did so in the 1:00-2:00 time frame. From the visitor center proceed on the something loop trail until you come out onto a field. To your left is a line of tree separating two fields.  It has been frequenting that line of trees.  This afternoon it was perching nicely on  a tangle next to a green bush about 2/3 of the way down the tree line.

The bird, by the way, is a young Northern Shrike.  The scalloping is visible on the breast and it has a narrow black mask with little white above or below.

Kurt Schwarz
HowCo
goawaybird at verizon dot net