We arrived at the shrike location at 11:56 am and first saw it at 12:24, chasing a mockingbird. It perched first on a small tree near the road east of where we parked, then on the top of a taller tree further back in the field, and finally spent quite a bit of time in saplings on top of the dirt pile. This is the furthest west dirt pile, closest to the end of the road.
I did not see leg bands or a geolocator through the scope. We will check Joe's photos.
We were a little surprised to be the only birders present, but everyone else must have seen last winter's Talbot bird, which we weren't able to chase.
Thanks, Jim and Jim.
Leslie Starr & Joe Turner
Baltimore
On Nov 26, 2011, at 1:49 PM, Jim Moore <> wrote:
> Seen at the same location Jim describes around noon today. Was not evident before that time however. Perched on a small bare tree on the large mound of dirt in the center of the field. Thanks Jim.
>
> Good birding!
> Jim Moore
> Rockville, Maryland
> PLEASE REPORT YOUR BIRD SIGHTINGS to http://ebird.org/
>
> On 11/25/2011 6:21 PM, Jim Green wrote:
>> Hi Everybody:
>> My 9-year old grandson and I headed west this morning and ended up in Washington County. We had just come across (going east) Broadfording Rd. from Clear Spring and reached the back end of the Center of Hagerstown shopping area. Even though it is by no means shorebird season I decided to check some of the spots that Hans Holbrook had showed me years ago. I thought that some of the overgrown neglected habitat may have been good for sparrows. We turned right on Hagers Crossing Road and proceeded to the roundabout. We first pulled in where the Loggerhead Shrike had been seen in August, 2009. There was very little bird activity. We left the parking lot and came out of the poolhouse area (Sedgwick Way) and turned right which is still Hagers Crossing Rd.
>>
>> After checking several other neighborhhod spots we were headed out again on Hagers Crossing Drive. About midway between where this road dead ends (currently a decent sized flooded part of the field here) and Capstone Drive (on the right) I noticed a perched bird in the field on my left. It was a shrike and after quickly getting my scope on it confirmed it to be a LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE. During the 15+ minutes that we saw the bird (12:20-12:45) it was very active and moving about over several acres of the overgrown field, sometimes perching fairly low to the ground. Its final perch was at the top of one of the higher trees adjacent to the poolhouse area further up the road near Sedgwick Way. When we drove up to that location we spent another 10 minutes of scanning without relocating the bird. I would not be convinced at all that the shrike had left the area. There is definitely alot of suitable habitat between the poolhouse and that same side of the road which is 100% undeveloped.
>>
>> Below are the directions that Bill Hubick had posted back in 2009. For anybody that wants to chase the shrike, follow the directions below. When you reach the roundabout go 3/4 of the way around and proceed down the road (this is Hagers Crossing Road).
>>
>> Area is part of the extended Center at Hagerstown.
>> From I-70, take I-81 north, then 40 west.
>> Enter the center on your right (north) almost immediately
>> At the T-intersection, go left, which will be labeled either Garland Groh Blvd or Bartow Drive (Garland Groh becomes Bartow right there)
>> Follow Bartow Drive 3/10s of a mile to a roundabout.
>> Go halfway around to Sedgwick Way
>>
>>
>> Other highlights of our day included 3 AMERICAN PIPITS on Blairs Valley Road, a FOX SPARROW at Fort Washington St. Pk. and on Broadfording Rd. we saw a N. HARRIER, and in a small farm puddle we saw 12 GREEN-WINGED TEAL, 1 N. PINTAIL and 2 Black Ducks among mallards.
>>
>> Hope that everybody had a great Thanksgiving day.
>>
>> Jim Green
>> Gaithersburg, MD
>>
>> work in moderation, BIRD IN EXCESS!!!
>>
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