Northern Shrike / Lanius excubitor

Yesterday, 3 April 2016, I was on a birding day trip with a group of friends, going SE of Calgary, E of High River. The weather was beautifully mild and, as always, it was a most enjoyable day. As always, my camera lens was turned to various other things, too, as usually happens when birds are little more than tiny silhouettes in the far, far distance. This Northern Shrike was one bird that was close enough for a photo. It was perched in a tree along the side of the gravel road leading to the gate at Frank Lake.

Though it looks a small, innocent bird, it has the nasty habit of impaling its prey on branches or barbed-wire. "The bird's two most conspicuous behaviours – storing food animals by impaling them on thorns, and using exposed tree-tops or poles to watch the surrounding area for possible prey."

"A predatory songbird, the Northern Shrike breeds in taiga and tundra and winters in southern Canada and the northern United States. It feeds on small birds, mammals, and insects, sometimes impaling them on spines or barbed wire fences." From AllAboutBirds.

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Shrike/id

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_grey_shrike

I will add the report from our leader, Tony Timmons. With all the birds so far away, it was really difficult, if not impossible, to even begin to count the numbers. Many thanks for a great day, Tony, and thanks so much for the ride!

"Twelve people were on the trip Sunday, enjoying warm weather and lots of birds (mostly waterfowl).

We birded Frank Lake, Brant Lake, and a brief stop at Third Lake; finding 40 species for the day.

Greater White-fronted Goose -10 Brant Lake
Snow Goose -7 Frank Lake
Canada Goose
Trumpeter Swan
Tundra Swan
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Shoveler
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup - 3 Brant Lake
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Ruddy Duck
Northern Harrier -2 Third Lake
Gray Partridge
Ring-necked Pheasant
American Coot - 300 Brant Lake
Greater Yellowlegs - 1 Frank Lake
Killdeer
Ring-billed Gull
California Gull
Rock Pigeon
Great Horned Owl - 2 on nest
Northern Shrike -2 One close to Frank Lake gate, one N. of Third Lake
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Common Raven
American Robin
European Starling
Red-winged Blackbird -12 males, Frank Lake Area
Yellow-headed Blackbird - 2 Frank Lake blind
Western Meadowlark
House Finch
House Sparrow

Two Red-tailed Hawks were overhead as We entered the city limits."