For the past four years, I’ve been searching for my nemesis birds, the Northern Shrike. And two days before the end of 2021, I finally found it!
Not once, but twice in the same day at two different birding hotspots.
Known as the “Butcher Bird” for its habit of storing food for later by impaling its prey on thorns or sharp fences, the Northern Shrike is a larger gray and white songbird with a characteristic black mask.
A little smaller than the American Robin, the Northern Shrike feeds on small birds, rodents, and large insects.
When I first spotted it on the cloudy day, the Northern Shrike was perched on a small tree.
I saw its distinctive black mask before it quickly flew across the road to the field, with a flash of white on its long tail.
After about 10 seconds, the bird flew back to the tree where I took multiple photos to confirm I finally found my nemesis bird.
Poor lighting due to the cloudy day meant I couldn’t get as good a photo as I’d like.
The bird then flew off to the northwest to the trees.
I moved on to another birding hotspot, about a mile away. And once again spotted the bird on top of a small tree.
Two sightings of my nemesis bird species on one day was a celebration for me!
Hard to know if it’s the same bird or a different bird, but I was thrilled to finally see the bird that has eluded me for years.
I’ve visited at least two dozen birding locations over the past four years where the Northern Shrike has been spotted. Missed it by minutes several times.
What a great way to end 2021 with life bird number 304!
