Friday, March 21, 2008

Loggerhead Shrike

You have probably guessed that I am not in Florida this Easter. I am missing friends, hot weather, and photo ops! Unfortunately, we waited too late to make reservations because everything was booked and we could not get off the island of Newfoundland. There were lots of seats from Toronto to Florida, but getting to Toronto was impossible.

The first day I arrived in Florida last year, I photographed a nest with young loggerhead shrikes. I was able to get very close to them and get quite a few close-ups with my 70-300 mm lens. The following day, the birds left the nest and never returned.

These young birds were difficult to identify because my identification book showed two types of shrike that were very similar. The only way to identify which species of shrike I had photographed was a map which showed that only one of them winters in Florida.

It is funny that I have been living in the forest for 26 years and I have yet to find a bird's nest around my home that had young birds in it. Yet in Citrus Park, I was able to photograph this nest less than 30 feet from the place I was staying.

I have created a gallery with 15 photos. Feel free to check it out.
http://www.lanephotography.com/birds/loggerhead_shrike/loggerhead_shrike_01.htm



1 comment:

bearkat said...

very nice...brings back memories from when i was in florida in 89.....sorry, you weren't able to go this year.....although i haven't been to the east coast...halifax will hold special meaning to me....my parents landed at pier 21 in february of 1951~~~...happy easter bruce :):)

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