Mich-chat Digest, Vol 559, Issue 1

Tue Dec 4 10:04:47 EST 2007

Doug, some observations on shrikes . . . We have an im shrike hanging 
around our feeder this winter and I have not seen it chase a bird yet 
and am wondering if it is hunting voles coming the the ground seed. 
All the small birds fly away when it comes in but shortly they start 
coming back and we have watched the shrike sit low in the brush and 
patiently look around for extended periods 1/2 hour or more without 
moving. I have always thought of shrikes as siting on top of trees 
out in the open, I guess that is only where they are easily seen, or 
this im bird does not know how a shrike is supposed to act.  Over the 
years we have also watched ss hawks do the same thing, fly in and 
find a perch down low, a few feet off the ground, and just sit there 
watching birds for and hour or more.  The chickadees all keep coming 
to the feeder and scolding all the time, eventually cardinals etc 
come out and start feeding and the hawk just intently watches. The 
other day a red squirrel passed within a couple of feet of an im ss 
and it never even glanced at the squirrel, very intent on the birds. 
My assumption is that the hawk has already fed and is just enjoying 
the show.

Obviously I spend too much time looking out the window.

More shirke stories . . .  over the years there have been several 
reports of shrikes chasing and killing cardinals, seemingly picking 
them out as week flyers. Also,  observations of shrikes catching a 
goldfinch by knocking it down by hitting it in the air with its 
breast repeatedly and forcing it to the ground then dispatching it 
with its bill on the ground.

Brian is right, Tom Ford and I did see a shrike catch a vole and fly 
off carrying it in its feet.  Books say they do not carry prey in 
their feet.   Carl Freeman

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>Today's Topics:
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>    1. Response to shrike post (Dmcwhir513 at aol.com)
>    2. Re: SE Mich Golden eagle, LE owls (Mike Sefton)
>
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Message: 1
>Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2007 18:01:07 EST
>From: Dmcwhir513 at aol.com
>Subject: Response to shrike post
>To: Mich-chat at envirolink.org, mid-michbirds at cse.msu.edu
>Message-ID: <c49.1f41ebdf.34849333 at aol.com>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
>Folks -
>
>    Had several enlightening responses to my recent post about a shrike
>nabbing a finch at a feeder here in Dimondale.
>
>Brian Allen sent this:
>
>    "Hey Doug, just talked to Carl Freeman and he and Tom Ford had seen a
>Shrike carry off a vole with its feet while watching owls on Sugar 
>Island a few
>years ago."
>
>And, Skye Haas sent this (talk about timely):
>
>    "I had a Shrike nab a Redpoll at my feeders yesterday. When it flew off
>with the "poll", I was 99.9% sure it was being carried in the talons 
>and not in
>the shrike's bill. It was similar to your observation in that it did not stay
>in my lilacs, and flew in a ascending, labored flight. However it was not
>being harassed by the other Redpolls, as the flock had dispersed for the next
>county over. As of this afternoon, the majority of my Redpoll flock has not
>returned, perhaps because the shrike was back again this morning."
>
>Okay, that mystery seems well illuminated.  Now my question is:  "How does it
>land when it has feet full of finch?"
>
>Also, I don't suppose a shrike really has talons, not in the sense of an owl
>or hawk, but are their feet and nails more robust than other songbirds?  And,
>if feet are used to grasp prey, can the nails properly be called talons,
>regardless?
>
>Life is short.  If you can't bird, wonder.     - Doug
>
>
>
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>------------------------------
>
>Message: 2
>Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2007 15:35:17 -0800 (PST)
>From: Mike Sefton <mseft at yahoo.com>
>Subject: Re: SE Mich Golden eagle, LE owls
>To: andigena at aol.com, Mich-Chat <mich-chat at envirolink.org>
>Message-ID: <390141.46442.qm at web35407.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
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>
>All,
>     I believe Tom modestly failed to mention that 85 is a new 
>Michigan big day record for December.
>   Best,
>   Mike Sefton
>   Ann Arbor
>
>andigena at aol.com wrote:
>   In a full day of birding on Dec 1 in SE Michigan, beginning in 
>Lenawee and Jackson Cos. and ending in extreme southern Wayne Co., 
>Chuck Anderson, Steve Stockford, and I found 85 species. Highlights 
>were GOLDEN EAGLE along Arnold Rd. in SE Jackson Co., the previously 
>reported LONG-EARED OWLS at Lake Erie MP and LESSER BLACK-BACKED 
>GULLS at Lotus Rd, and a moderately late DUNLIN at the beach at Erie 
>Power.
>
>Tom Kemp
>Bowling Green, Ohio
>    
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>End of Mich-chat Digest, Vol 559, Issue 1
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