The Loggerhead Shrike was at the same location, where Jim Green found it,
off Hager's Crossing Drive. This was at 8:30 am this morning. It was a
little closer to Sedgwick Way. There are piles of large rocks and piles of
smaller rocks. Behind the rock piles is a large dirt mound with small trees
around it. The shrike was in these small trees. I seems to have an
exceptionally wide black mask.

 Joe Hanfman
Columbia, MD


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jim Green <>
Date: Fri, Nov 25, 2011 at 6:21 PM
Subject: [MDOSPREY] Loggerhead Shrike in Hagerstown area in Washington
County
To: 


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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