[bcbirdclub] Re: [Va-bird] Loggerhead Shrike Courtship Behavior Tazewell Co
- From: "Roger Mayhorn" <rmayhorn@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opiehunter@xxxxxxxxx>, "buchanan co bc" <bcbirdclub@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:09:27 -0400
Tom,
Nice photos and very interesting Shrike behavior.
Roger Mayhorn
----- Original Message -----
From: Thomas Hunter
To: bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ; buchanan co bc ; virginia birds
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2009 8:51 PM
Subject: [Va-bird] Loggerhead Shrike Courtship Behavior Tazewell Co
This afternoon I was birding on Ascue Road near Wardell in Tazewell
County looking for early warblers along the creek. As I walked back to the
truck I noticed a Loggerhead Shrike perched on a thorn bush. I took some photos
and was starting to leave when I heard a call I had not heard before. It
reminded me of the "bzeep" of a Woodcock. I looked for the source of the sound
and discovered it was the Shrike. This is the first time I have heard a Shrike.
He was looking back towards a thick thornbush and calling. He was soon joined
by his mate who flew from the center of the thick shrub. They sat together for
a couple of minutes then one flew to the ground and caught an insect or some
other kind of prey. It flew back to the perch and impaled the prey on one of
the thorns. It repeated this process 3 or 4 times in the 5 minutes that I
watched them and took photographs. They eventually flew across the field to
another thornbush.
I read in Sibley's Guide to Bird Life and Behavior that the female
chooses the nest and it appears this pair was house hunting. Also, the behavior
of the other could be either bringing food to its mate or "lardering". This is
where the male will store food by impaling prey on thorns. The larger the
larder the better the male's chances of attracting a mate. I have included some
of the photos at the link below:
http://www.pbase.com/opiehunter/loggerhead_shrike
Tom & Laverne Hunter
Russell County Bird Club
Lebanon, VA
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- » [bcbirdclub] Re: [Va-bird] Loggerhead Shrike Courtship Behavior Tazewell Co - Roger Mayhorn
