ML138205191

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Media notes

Notes from Flickr: At long last, I had my encounter with the Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor) at Green Lane Reservoir. My first viewing was less than feet away from the bird, but, of course I did not have my camera. I wasn't even looking for the shrike. I was scoping ducks and gulls. When I decided not to bring my camera, I jokingly thought, "Plus, if I don't bring the camera, then I'll see the shrike." The universe likes to rain down irony upon me at times.

Observation details

(Adult) Continuing rarity, previously reported by many. First encountered ~12:45PM, Last seen ~2:00PM. Watched and photographed this bird regurgitate a pellet and get into a fracas with a local mockingbird. First seen at the path leading from the main parking area at Green Lane Reservoir's Church Road Bird Sanctuary to the peninsula overlook. I first encountered the bird on the loop part of the end of that trail at the NW corner of the loop when the shrike burst out of the brush not three feet from me and got into an argument with one of the Northern Mockingbirds. After the mockingbird chased the shrike off, the shrike flew NNE and landed in the hedgerow between the field in back of the red Farmhouse and the marshy area bordering the shore of the reservoir. From there, the shrike flew back to the loop on the path, where I found it on the tree at the Southern-most edge of the path near the shoreline. Two mockingbirds harassed it until it flew back to the previous location. From there, the bird headed back to the loop, but I never found it again.

Technical information

Model

NIKON D200

ISO

1000

Focal length

300 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/6.3

Shutter speed

1/2500 sec

Dimensions

1237 pixels x 1856 pixels

Original file size

417.56 KB