Wow!!!!! Posted on February 17, 2013 at 03:25:19 PM by ginny
Wowee!!
I now need to subtract a male evening grosbeak from the numbers for this weekend.
But I get to add a northern shrike!
Was just bringing some wood in from the shed when the blue jays started screaming. Looked out and there was a northern shrike struggling with something on the ground.
Couldn't make out what it was but the shrike flew off a short distance. That's when I saw a male evening grosbeak stumbling around.
When I got back outside with my binoculars, the shrike was no longer there.
Took a few steps towards the area and saw it again, dragging the now deceased grosbeak along the ground. The shrike was trying to fly couldn't fly more than a foot or so. Unfortunately, that distance took it out of sight behind the shed.
I didn't want to take the chance of scaring it away from its food so came back inside. I've just been outside again to check and it must have got a better grip and managed to fly as there is no corpse left behind and no tracks showing a struggle in the snow.
Fortunately, there are also no cat tracks - I was worried that cat next door might grab the shrike as it was distracted with its prey.
Checked the cedars right there but couldn't see the shrike in the trees. Now I wish I'd stayed to watch where it went.