> We took a drive from Cle Elum to Othello on Saturday. The highlights of
our
> drive being [snip] numerous Loggerhead Shrikes on the Crab Creek Road


I'm wondering if your Loggerhead Shrikes could have been Northern Shrikes.
I was recently over there and saw several shrikes that I (and others)
couldn't decide about... I think that Northern Shrikes would be more
common around here this time of year, but you know how that goes... Bob
Sundstrom was with our group, and he spent quite a bit of time looking at
the 'Lower Crab Creek Shrikes' before declaring them to be Northern
Shrikes. There is typically a decided difference in the shade of the gray
on the back, as well as on the amount of black over the bill, although the
shrike we examined on the Crab Creek Road was not convincing either way, as
far as I was concerned.

The National Geographic Guide shows the Northern Shrike with a white 'rump
patch', and the Loggerhead Shrike with a Gray rump patch...I have fixed
this field mark in my head with 'gg in Loggerhead for gray', but it doesn't
seem to show up in the field...Can anyone confirm or reject this field mark
as a practical way to separate these two species?

Rick Romea "We might as well be walking on the sun"
Seattle, WA - Smashmouth

rromea at stioptronics.com
206-523-5831 (Home)
206-827-0460 X 316 (Work)