Loggerhead Shrike

Great image of a beautiful bird. Good view of the eye with the black banding especially on the larger image. I like the progression of the background from sky to distant foliage. Some haloing. Glad you were able to finally get this.

Your persistence has certainly paid off. Very nice BG and perch compliment this Shrike. Well done.

Great find. I have only seen them twice before, and one was VERY cooperative but a few twigs went across the frame in front of the bird. Love the catchlight in the eye, I found it to be hard to get a good head shot of these birds because of all the black around the eye. Glad you were able to capture this one unobstructed and with great detail.

Skip - Wonderful image of this shrike! They are very uncommon, elusive, and tough to catch! Tack-sharp, great pose, and nice perch.
However, this is a Northern shrike, not a Loggerhead. Northerns are even less common, especially in S.Cal, so this is a great catch. Differences are subtle, but the loggerhead has a shorter stubby bill and (the tell-all) no hook at the tip. The Northern has a larger and longer bill with (perfectly seen in your image) a very obvious hook.
Excellent shot!!
Sandy

Congrats on finally getting your shot and it be a good one. I especially like the background as the bird is totally in the blue -- I often end up with the brown/ blue line in the background crossing the bird. I like seeing the catchlight as it is needed when a black eye is surrounded by dark feathers

Bigger version much better. Like the crop on this ( but I am a bit of a "square" man )
JohnR

nice one, Skip. love the setting and bg. nice work on your exposure, and the eye stands out well, which can be a challenge.

I disagree with Sandy's ID as a Northern, this is a Loggerhead Shrike. It's not the case that only Northerns exhibit a hooked bill--Loggerheads often show a very well defined hook on the tip of the bill. While this bird does look slightly long-billed, a Northern should show a paler base to the lower mandible. A very important field mark is the black mask, which is both thick and clearly extends above the eye--both of which are very solid marks for a Loggerhead.

Nicely done! Congrats on getting a tough one for you.

Definitely Loggerhead.

Nice pose perch and BG Harry. have you considered a vertical?Might be nice too.

Nice job in getting this shot, I like the head turn showing eye contact and you see enough of the body to show you some of the shrike's feather patterns and color. Good job in handling the contrast and not blowing out the white's, way to go, well done.

Congrats Harry!!! On capturing such a great portrait of this alert beauty. Excellent detail! Although I'm not an expert, I double checked three different field guides and I'm leaning toward Loggerhead too. Either way it's a sweet photo.

Ken Archer

A very nice comp for this shrike Skip. Love the perch bush and the BG really adds. Well done.

Definitely a Loggerhead. Nice getting close and clear view.

Congratulations on getting this shot. Perfect positioning of the bird, great background and colors.

Still believe it is a Northern, as does the president of our local Audubon Society. In Sibley's, p 295 - it also seems pretty clear. The loggerhead (bottom photo in Sibley's) has a much stubbier bill without a hook, quite different than Harry's bird. The Northern (top photo) shows a longer, much larger bill with avery distinct hook - exactly like Harry's image here. I pointed out to the Audubon guy that Harry's bird seems to have the wider dark mask of a loggerhead, but Bill said the hooked and larger bill is the distinct feature of the Northern and the apparent width of the mask is always inconclusive, since so many factors affect it's APPEARANCE at any given time. The white under the eye typical of a northern is also easily covered by the eye position so that is also an inconclusive ID feature.
We both may be wrong, of course, but I 'm still not sure.
Very excellent image, at any rate!
Sandy

For another example of a Loggerhead Shrike showing a strong hook to the bill, see my gallery:
Loggerhead Shrike

As far as the mask, the white under the eye is less important than the black OVER the eye. Loggerhead's mask clearly extends above the eye. The presence of black feathering there is something that posture does not alter.

Skip,
Regardless of the discussion of whether it is a Northern or not, this is a stunning photo. Your artistry has grown in leaps and bounds since I have known you. Keep up the good work.

FYI to other NPN members, Harry and I took the same image side by side at San Jacinto last Sunday and by far his image is superior to mine.

This is really sweet, looks like you got what you were after, well done

Skip, I have ben trying for four years to get a decent image of a Loggerhead. We get them out on the eastern prairie at Pawnee quite a bit, but not many perches, so when you finally see one perched, they seem to scare VERY easily. Good exposure, detail and comp on this one! Plus, congrats on getting this.

FYI, I disagree with Sandy's ID. One of the biggest differences of the Northern to the Loggerhead, is the mask. On a Loggerhead, the mask extends across the top of the bill and northerns do not. This shot clearly shows the mask going across the bill.

I humbly conceded!
Sandy