Yesterday I wrote about the Yellow Wagtail at Martindale Flats, near Victoria
and said:

>Also there was a Northern Shrike, our earliest fall record for this
>species...by about 12 days. I tried to make it into a Loggerhead Shrike,
>for our first ever record, but....

But...we did make it into a Loggerhead!

My early morning look at this bird had been brief, distant and secondary to
an attempt to relocate the Yellow Wagtail found there Sept. 4 and 5. I
assumed it was an early Northen Shrike. However, I was taken by the fact
that when it sallied out over the bulb field, it flushed a number of
American Pipits, which followed it back to its brushy perch and "mobbed" it
for a few seconds...hovering and diving at it. I had never seen small birds
do this to a Northern Shrike, although the Northerns tend to arrive here
later, perhaps after most of the pipits have left. This mobbing, together
with my impression that perhaps the bird was smaller than a Northern and the
fact that it would have been our earliest record for Northern by 2 weeks,
prompted me to alert others to check it out. Nine of us watched/
photographed it closely last evening and concluded Loggerhead, a first
for Vancouver Island. My photos should confirm.

Questions:

1. Have others noticed "mobbing" of either shrike as a common event? By
pipits?

2. One of us recalls a note that the rictal bristles (whiskers) of the two
shrikes are different in colour - white on one, black on the other.
Any references to this? Perhaps Dennis could check the museum specimens? We
had prolonged, close, scope looks at this bird in varying light, and our
conclusion was that it had black bristles, which would seem to match the
generally darker face of the Loggerhead. Your thoughts?

The Yellow Wagtail was again at Martindal Flats on Sept. 6. No reports yet
this morning, but it is early. Wash, Ore or mainland BC birders may call me
in the daytime at (604) 387-1725 for updates, but I will change the Victoria
RBA (604) 592-3381 as soon as I hear that it is still there.

Bryan Gates, Victoria, BC bgates at assessment.env.gov.bc.ca