Northern Shrike - 13 Feb 2005

13 February 2005 Crosswinds Marsh, Wayne Co.

1300 Hrs.  After yesterday’s sunny skies and 40ºF temps it is overcast, breezy and a cool 30ºF.  Robin and I drove to Crosswinds Marsh to get out of the house.  

As we turned south on Haggerty Rd. just north of Arkona Rd. I spotted several dozen American Robins feeding along the road in the Staghorn Sumac bushes.  A few pics later we drove into the park. 

 

I walked the Bald Eagle trail and spotted a pair of Bald Eagles on the nest.  I stopped and digiscoped a few pics before Officer Tim Jablonski stopped by.  I let him use my binocs to see the eagles and showed him a few digiscoped pics.  

A short walk later and I heard a Horned Lark fly over.  “Psid-ip, psid-ip”.

As I walked along the trail I spotted several American Tree Sparrows.  I then saw a Northern Shrike on the trail west of the  ponds (note the obviously hooked bill and black eye mask that runs ‘below’ the eye – a Loggerhead Shrike has a less obvious hooked bill and a mask that completely covers the eye).  I digiscoped some pics, then walked back to the car. 

I spotted a single Swamp Sparrow along the boardwalk near the pagoda.  

The Mourning Dove shown below was taken from the kitchen window.  Had a heckuva time keeping Asia from the window while I tried not to scare the dove away.  She got out through the window as it was…

Crosswinds Marsh, Wayne, Michigan, US
Feb 13, 2005 1:00 PM - 2:20 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     30F, breezy, and cool
7 species

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  2     on nest along bald eagle trail
Northern Shrike (Lanius borealis)  1     Adult w/ mask below eye, hooked bill. Perched atop snag w/ cocked tail.
Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)  2     fly-over
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  16
American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea)  3
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)  1     next to boardwalk. Dark sparrow w/ rufous wings/tail and Buffy flanks. Whitish throat. Dark cap distinguished it from White-throated sparrow.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S41755608

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