I�followed Russ Ruffing's direction to the (closed at the time of my visit) community center parking lot at Pettigrew Court off of Sedgwick Way.� I observed from appx 1440 to 1510.� For most of that time the area was without any sign of the Shrike.� There were some E Bluebirds, as well as some smaller birds focused on the area's abundant weedy vegetation's seed crop - i thought i could identify House Finches among these, but one could hope that they were Purple Finches instead.� There was also a single N Mocking bird perched in an ornamental tree of some kind along the lot.� At appx 1500 i observed a Shrike-ish bird fly to some Mullein stalks�close to a large white/gray rock on the top of�the mound.� It then flew to the rock and�stayed there for appx 5 minutes, moving around some and being partially obscured by brush at the rock's right edge.� The viewing�was not great and i only had my 7 x 35 car stash bins with me anyway.� I don't think it
 was a mocker, but i also never saw any sign of a facial mask on this bird.� It was quite breezy, so maybe that explains why it chose not to perch in a more exposed location.
�
BTW Kurt Schwarz' observation location sounds as if it may be quite some distance from the Pettigrew Court�x Sedgwick Way intersection, but i may be mistaken.� The undeveloped area adjacent to the community center parking lot at Pettigrew Court is bordered on one edge by Hagers Crossing Dr (no apostrophe in Hagers and not Rd according to MAPQUEST), but there is no hill to my definition at least�to be seen.� And this�section is also within scoping, if not bin, range of the community center lot.
�
Fewer feeder birds:
I've noted the concern expressed on OSPREY as well as in some letters to the Tues Health & Science section of the POST, but i have to report i seem to have my usual quota of birds at the feeders.� In fact the thistle sack was found two weeks ago almost totally empty and flapping in the breeze.� I assumed before i approached that a squirrel had torn its bottom�to get at the seed, but found the sack intact.� I observed today that it is again almost empty.� It will be attended to tomorrow.� Maybe my situation is helped by the fact that my feeders are located in an island of overgrowth incl abundant pokeweed plants bordered by two large evergreens and a large planting of forsythia.� LET THOSE WEEDS GROW PEOPLE may be the take home message here...
�
Jim (Michael) Speicher
Broad Run area of S FRED County

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