Monday, July 29, 2013

Loggerhead Shrike and more

I am linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes

I know you all find it hard to believe but I still have more Florida birds and even a lifer I have not posted. So with out further delay, here is one of my cool Florida lifers.... the Loggerhead Shrike.


My Loggerhead Shrike lifer happened on the same street as my Burrowing Owl lifer.  Cool, two lifers within blocks of each other. The Shrike was sitting on a wire across the road I was driving on, I had to turn around and do a double take to make sure of the birds id. The Loggerhead Shrike is also known as the Butcher Bird. It eats insects, lizards and small birds. I will not go into the gory details on what the Shrike does to its food before its eat them.


Not the best photos of my Loggerhead Shrike but you can definitely see the bird's features.  The Shrike has a large hook bill, the head and back are grey and the underparts are white. The wings and tail are black,  with white patches on the wings and white on the outer tail feather. The black face mask extends over its bill unlike that of the similar but larger Northern Shrike. I have seen the Northern Shrike here in Maryland.


So, in the same Florida neighborhood I saw my lifer the Burrowing Owl and the cool Loggerhead Shrike. I would not mind living on this street with the cool birds.



Seeing the Burrowing owls was one of the trip's highlights for me. So seeing them a couple of times in different places made my day and trip.

 Seeing a new bird for the first time is exciting, I hope you enjoyed my Loggerhead Shrike and Burrowing Owls.

Join in and post your birdies and to see more beautiful and wonderful bird photos please visit:
 Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and Michelle's  Nature Notes.

Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday and thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes.

Thanks for stopping by and for leaving your nice comments. I always appreciate your visits.
I wish everyone a happy week ahead and Happy Birding!

62 comments:

  1. I always enjoy your series of birds and your extra information about the birds.Thank you!
    Have a great week.
    Wil, ABCW Team

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  2. Hi Eileen I am so pleased you saw you 2 lifer in the same area. That was marvellous. Great shoots of the owl, I was just wondering what that sign that it is sitting on, says? Looking interesting.

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  3. It is really cool to have met you . . . I have learned and enjoyed since day one. Thank you . . .

    "Firsts" bring a certain kind of joy . . .

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  4. Wow, the owl is so beautiful. What a catch on your memory card!

    Wish you a great week, Eileen!

    Irene

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  5. well you can't help loving the Burrowing Owl; great photos Eileen

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  6. Oh I love the owl shots, just wonderful to see!

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  7. Gosh, you find some amazing birds... that owl is beautiful!

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  8. i'd love to see either or both of these! great job!

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  9. Great photos Eileen.
    The owl I find really great.

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  10. Nice shots of the Shrike and Owl. I have seen both those - Well, ours are the Northern Shrike. The Burrowing Owls are so small and sooo cute.

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  11. Keep your Florida shots coming Eileen, I've loved them all. The Shrike was very interesting but I think if I came across an owl like that, any kind of owl, I would fall out of my shoes in excitement. Happy day to you :)

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  12. Two fabulous lifers Eileen .. lucky you.

    I only get to see Northern Shrike in the winter when one usually stops over for a few months.

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  13. Hi Eileen, the Loggerhead Shrike is striking! I think your shrikes and ours here do exactly the same with their prey! I simply adore the Burrowing owl. What a sighting. Congratulations on two stunning lifers. Jo

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  14. Aren't they cool birds???!!! The smallest bird of prey! They take their prey and stab them on a twig! They certainly have lots of personality. One time one stared down a red-tail hawk. Very funny! Congrats!

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  15. I've never seen a Shrike, but I've always thought they were cool looking birds. I love your owl shots! Fantastic!

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  16. Hey Eileen,
    Great shots!! The shots of that owl are really fantastic!!

    Many greetings,
    Marco

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  17. Eileen, Big congrats on the two lifers! Great to see them so close to each other too!

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  18. Congrats on two more Eileen! Both are so beautiful.

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  19. Hallo Eileen!
    Wow!!!Great post!!!The pictures with the owl,are amazing!!!How lucky you are!!I have'nt seen in daylight an owl!Only in night!Thank you for sharing these lovely moments from your trip in Florida!!Have a nice week!!!
    Dimi...

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  20. I can imagine how excited you were... Seeing ONE lifer is great --but TWO????? Awesome!!!!! Congrats.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  21. Hi Eileen!
    It's always fun to find new birds you never seen before! Is that what you call a lifer? You know my language is swedish and sometimes I don't quite understand.

    Great photos and I love the cool owl!
    Greetings Pia

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  22. Great photos and congratulations on two lifers so close together.

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  23. FANTASTIC 2 BIRDS, that bird can do some damage with that bill.

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  24. Beautiful owl shots!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

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  25. Hi Eileen ... Wow I love the Burrowing Owl he is a beauty I would love to see him!!
    I have have had a northern Shrike in my yard before very similar, but smaller!!
    Thanks for sharing these photo's!!
    Congrat's on these lifer's!
    Graace

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  26. Your owl photos are quite striking. The shrike sounds quite something: "I will not go into the gory details on what the Shrike does to its food before its eat them." Hm.

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  27. I agree that is cool birds. And beauties. Love the shrike and the owl.

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  28. The owls are so cute! What great photos. How exciting that you saw them and the shrike! The shrike's bill does look like it would be good for eating its prey. But I don't want to think about that too much haha.

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  29. Being from New England I've never seen either of these birds. Great share!

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  30. The spotty owl is a beauty.
    Merle..........

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  31. That is a wild street (Cape Coral?)....and you know I love burrowing owls!! we saw the shrike for the first time years ago in California down by the Salton Sea...first we saw the grusesome details that you left out, so it isn't my very favorite bird, but it was still exciting to ID it.

    Amazing to get two lifers on the same day like in the same neighborhood like you did..

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  32. What an adorable owl!

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  33. I don't mind at all that you are sharing more of your Florida bird pictures with us. Your words (and pictures) make your excitement about your finds obvious to us all.

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  34. very cool owl!! i have enjoyed all these pictures from florida!!

    so happy you are sharing them!!

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  35. Oh how lucky to have seen both! The owl is so sweet!

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  36. Great bird shots! I especially love the owl, so amazing that you saw these birds in person and captured them on camera!

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  37. Congrats on your two lifers. The Loggerhead Shrike is a cute little fellow but the Burrowing Owl is my favorite.

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  38. Congratulations, Eileen! I love the Burrowing Owl photos!

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  39. What great birds! Any owl is worth seeing - but these look really good value!

    Cheers and thanks for linking to WBW

    Stewart M - Melbourne

    PS: I added another image to the WBW - I forgot last night!

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  40. We get the Northern Shrike. The only time I've seen one is one winter when one was terrorizing my bird feeders.

    I enjoyed your Myakka photos. Beautiful spot!

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  41. Oh.. I really fell for that sweet owl. Thank you for sharing :)

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  42. The owl has lovely chest feathers. He is a beauty. We have a Butcher Bird, I wonder if it is the same . It doesn't look the same colours. Ours is black and white mostly but there maybe grey ones not sure but I do know that it has white underpants too. (hee hee)

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  43. Dearest Eileen,
    What a marvelous and unique bird Loggerhead Shrike lifer is♡♡♡ Great photos.
    And I always LOVE to see the picture of owl. I'll skip to explain why because I've already wrote several comment and my post how it represent in Japan, p;)
    Have a wonderful week, my friend.
    Sending you lots of love and hugs from Japan, xoxo Miyako*

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  44. I love the owls, they're so cute!

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  45. I LOVE the loggerhead shrike photos. I have only seen them in the distance. A few breed here every year but their numbers are dwindling, at least here in Ontario.

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  46. Hi again Eileen!
    I want to tell you that the European storks have made their nests for several hundred years on chimneys, roofs or other high places where they can see clearly around. So it is natural for them.
    Thanks for your kind words! /Pia

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  47. Good shots and I love the ones of the owl.

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  48. 2 lifers, that is brilliant, cheers Eileen.

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  49. Hi Eileen, I hope to see some Burrowing Owls in my region some day. I have read where there are sites with Burrowing Owls here in this county. Have a great day tomorrow!

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  50. Wow!! The owl is so beautiful!!

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  51. Lovely photos of the burrowing owl! How exciting to see two lifers so close to each other! Just as i did yesterday with my two lifers at Musselburgh!

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  52. Cool! Congratulations on adding a new bird to your list.

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  53. Oh wow..I too would like to live there... great photos and congrats on the lifers Eileen... Michelle

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  54. What a wonderful post! Two lifers on the same street!
    Good show!

    Thank you for sharing the good news and the great images!

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  55. They are fascinating birds, and not to mention, very pretty!

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  56. I would absolutely love to see a burrowing owl. I've been to Fl. once or twice, but no luck yet!

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