Hi all,
Today I was out on a Xmas-tree farm checking for Vesper Sparrows. They're due
any day now but I didn't find any.
I did see a shrike that was actively hunting in a weedy stand of young trees,
which had been a good area for post-nesting Vesper Sparrows last summer.
Kind of a frustrating bird as it made several long flights. Its hunting style
made me think of a Loggerhead at first, but not entirely -- it was foraging for
insects but would return to the same perch, rather than making short swoops
through the habitat. I couldn't ever get a definitive look at the bill. But the
back color was pale and the mask was narrow, not containing the eye. And it
struck me as elongated overall, especially when it made long flights of ~200 m
high over the little trees. So pretty sure it was a Northern.
I noticed some discussion on the statewide list (OBOL) as to which species of
shrike should be considered more likely at this stage of the season. There was
some mention of eBird as a reference.
I feel like a broken record on this but it needs to be said:
Ebird reports reflect birder activity, interests, and focus. First-of-year
(FOY) birds are very important for many birders. Lingering birds that were seen
earlier in the year are less interesting.
The motivation of birders to post checklists on ebird needs to be considered.
If you find a Loggerhead Shrike west of the Cascades this time of year, you're
sure to make a note of it, and add it to a checklist if you're using ebird. Not
so much if you see a Northern Shrike in the same place where you saw one in
January.
That's probably even more so the case if you're going back through your
notebooks to upload sightings from past years.
My suggestion is to keep an open mind on any shrikes that you see this time of
year, and don't go by probabilities, or whatever ebird seems to show. There was
at least one Northern Shrike in southern Polk County today, which might be
moving through. If you're farther north, it may soon show up in your area.
Joel
--
Joel Geier
Camp Adair area north of Corvallis
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