It’d been a few weeks—maybe a month or more—since I’d seen one. But there it was, a Northern Shrike, perched alone as they do on the tiniest of twigs at the tip of a young hardwood. Waiting.
As a long-time vegetarian, it might seem ironic how crazy I am about these little meat-eating songbirds, but I am. They’re regular visitors in winter to Beech Hill (although I saw none the past two, for whatever reason), which seems to have perfect habitat. Plenty of small rodents active in the cold season; plenty of mouse and vole tracks in the snow today.
This one didn’t come close, but I got a distant photo. One of six species on the hill on this chilly morning.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 9:45 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Black-capped Chickadee**
2. White-breasted Nuthatch**
3. Tufted Titmouse (v)
4. American Crow*
5. Northern Shrike
6. Common Raven (v)
Elsewhere
7. Herring Gull
8. Rock Pigeon
9. House Sparrow (v)
10. Mourning Dove
11. European Starling
12. Great Black-backed Gull
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American crow, black-capped chickadee, common raven, European starling, great black-backed gull, herring gull, house sparrow, mourning dove, northern shrike, rock pigeon, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch
