I was checking out CBC sites on the 2A route today and found what I
think is a juvenile Northern Shrike at Sakuma Viewpoint, Seattle in
the late afternoon (3:30pm).

The bird was perched a little way (20%) down from the top of a shrubby
tree (a willow?) and later on the top of a shrubby thicket (a planting
invaded by a blackberry bush) at the water's edge in the middle of the
viewpoint.

The light was poor with bright sunlight coming from across the water
so direct views of the bird were up against the sun or at 90 degrees
from the sun with the bird (especially the wings and tail) obscured by
the shrub.

At first it was just a puffed up "little brown job". But the beak
looked "too big" for a sparrow or finch. And hooked at the end. More
vireo or shrike like. And appeared to be "two tone" with light lower
mandible towards the head. Hmmm, shrike-like.

The bird is light brown overall. The head had some faint dark patterns
with an darker eye streak behind the eye and darker auricular. Lighter
brown above the eye and then a little darker at the crown. Lighter
brown throat. Light brownish breast and flanks. Wings a slightly
darker brown with darker primaries and secondaries these feathers
edges in a lighter color. The wings, tail and tail coverts were
difficult to see given the way it was perched in the shrub. No wing bar.

I could get very close to the bird, 3m or less, with no reaction from
the bird. The bird didn't seem to care about me walking back and forth
or getting close. It was watching for aerial predators with head tilts
when roosting crows flew over and an aircraft. Looking around the
viewpoint (landward) for something else. Several mouth openings one of
which seemed to coincide with a crow flying 10m or so away. One call:
a non desrcript "feep". On a couple of occasions a more vigorous
looking around seemed coincide with some tail dipping too.

It stayed in place for 30 minutes before hopping from the shrub to the
bush where it stayed for another 10 minutes (post sunset) then moved
slightly lower in the bush. At which point I left (at 4:15).

I didn't see it fly or sally out and land.

The bird is a different from the recent Fill shrike that looked
sleeker and had darker (more adult) black head patterns on a very
light brown body color. This bird looks "younger" and less strongly
patterned than that.

There were no other birders there so if anyone wants to go and see if
it's still there tomorrow I'd appreciate your input.

Where is Sakuma Viewpoint? On Portage Bay. Just off of NE Boat St by
the UW. Google Map

You can see the two shrubs at the waters edge in the zoomed in Google
Satellite view.
--
Kevin Purcell
kevinpurcell at pobox.com
twitter: at kevinpurcell



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