Northern Shrike -- a rolling log for 2018/2019
For the thrid year in a row, the "Sully Shrike" has returned! This year, it was first reported by someone on November 3, 2018. It was not until November 8 that I managed to go to Sully Woodlands and find it. (See my logs for the last two year here (2016) and here (2017)). Just like before, it looked very much at home in this woodland habitat (later I saw it apprently eating an insect). Nobody knows where it had gone during the warm months of the year, but it has found its way back, and I sure am happy to see it again.
Northern Shrike
Northern Shrike
Northern Shrike
November 12, 2018, Veteran's Day. On this day something extraordinary happened -- I had been tracking two birds unofficially for a few years now: this one, the "Sully Shrike" (since 2016) and the "Battlefield Merlin" at Manassas National Battlefield Park (since 2014), but I had never seen both birds on the same day (Disclaimer: since neither bird is banded, I cannot be sure that I have been observing the same bird. The shrike is a mega-rare bird in Virginia, we can be nearly certain that it is the same bird, but the same cannot be said for the merlin). But on this day, I first saw and photographed the Merlin in the morning. Later, I stopped by Sully Woodlands and saw the shrike in the distance. I only took a few pictures from afar, so the shrike appears very small in them. But these are sufficient for identification purposes; besides, I composed the picture to give it a sense of the environment. I did, however, get some good pictures of a Song Sparrow.
Northern Shrike
Song Sparrow
November 22, 2018, Thanksgiving Day. I almost retraced my steps as on Veteran's Day -- to first go to Manassas National Battlefield to look for the Merlin, but I did not find it this time. I stopped by Sully Woodlands on the way back, the "Sully Shrike" obligingly appeared shortly after I arrived. This time it flew to a telephone wire right in front of me, and I got very close pictures of it. It was totally oblivious to my presence.
Northern Shrike
Northern Shrike
Northern Shrike
January 6, 2019. Another calendar year! Actually I had been to Sully Woodlands a few times in December, but I did not see the Northern Shrike again. It was recently reported in the nearby Rock Hill District Park. It was reported there the previous winter too, but this winter, it seemed to hang out more at this location. My own theory is that the restoration work at Sully Woodlands, including cutting down trees and shrubs (which is necessary for the restoration of the grassland habitat), created disturbances that are not to the shrik's liking. Fortunately, the nearby Rock Hill District Park is to its liking, and it seemed to have chosen it as its primary foraging ground.
Northern Shrike
Northern Shrike
Northern Shrike
February 2, 2019. Since the last sighting, I had made at least half a dozen trips to Rock Hill District Park and Sully Woodlands, but I could not find the "Sully Shrike". In fact, nobody had seen it since January 8, 2019. Meanwhile, a Northern Shrike appeared in Maryland and another one in Pennsylvania. There was speculation that one of them, especially the one in Maryland, might have been the "Sully Shrike" (however, on account of its age and appearance, this speculation was dismissed). On this day I first went to Rock Hill District Park, where the shrike was last seen. I still could not find it. I decided to stop by Sully Woodlands anyway, not really expecting to find it. This was the beginning of the thawing after the "Polar Vortex", a sully and warmer (I should say "less cold") day, bird activity was good at Sully Woodlands, a lot of sparrows abound, including this handsome Fox Sparrow, and the ubiquitous (but always delightful) Song Sparrow.
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
As I was getting to leave, I suddenly saw the Northern Shrike, the "Sully Shrike" perched in a small tree by the abandoned shed! In the beautiful late afternoon sunlight, it seemed relaxed and well-fed. I snapped a few pictures (you can even see it dropping its excrement in the second picture!). It later flew to a tall tree by the shed and started calling and singing. I managed to take a (rather shaky) video (click the thumbnail image below to see the video).
Northern Shrike
Northern Shrike
Video of the Northern Shrike
February 26, 2019. After several more failed attempts (although the bird was seen by other birders), I stopped by during lunch at Sully Woodlands on this day. Before I left, I located the "Sully Shrike" around the abandoned stable.
Northern Shrike
Northern Shrike
April 6, 2019. It is April now! And this is a beautiful and warm day (with high near 70). I saw the eBird alert by another birder and stopped by Sully Woodlands at 5PM. It was sporadically reported in March and April, but I had been too busy to check it out. This day I got lucky and found it in the burnt field west of the stable after a short search. It was actively hunting insects or some other prey. It flew to the tall trees behind the stable, then to a power line, then to the thickets around the stable. I took some pictures in a span of 15 minutes, then left it in peace.
This was the latest I have seen the bird (although it was seen last year as late as April 28).
Northern Shrike
Northern Shrike
Northern Shrike
Northern Shrike
Northern Shrike
On some days I did not see the shrike. But it was always good to visit the place. Sometimes I catch the sunset.
Sunset
Sunset
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