[mou] The Bird of the Fall for the Yard

[Holly Peirson]

After school today we were in our back porch playing with our new puppy when
we heard 2 loud thunks against the front window. Ran to see what terrible
thing had happened, and there was a Song Sparrow who had killed itself
against the window. Ohhh, dear... 

But what was that second thunk? It moved, and then flew up to a tree branch!
It did NOT look like a Blue Jay, too small and no blue. I ran to get my
glasses, and sure enough, it was a Northern Shrike! It stayed in the tree
for some time, gathering its wits about it. We moved its prey, the Song
Sparrow (which had died), to the edge of the garden so the bird wouldn't
have to get too close to the window again to get it if it wanted it. 

Later I went to check, and the sparrow was gone! Wow. The sparrow was not
thaaat much smaller than the Shrike. What a strange happening. I got to
explain to the kids about Shrikes, how they are in the songbird family and
yet they hunt, usually in open fields, and how they impale their prey if
they are not ready to eat it. I have heard and seen Sharpies and the local
Cooper's use the house as a hunting device, but never seen a Shrike in the
20 years we've lived here. It's not exactly an open meadow...more like an
oak woods and marshy area... 

So I have a new Yard Bird today, at the expense of another... 

 

Holly Peirson

Columbus, Anoka Co.

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