Peenie Wallie

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November 13, 2011

The Butcher Bird

Well, the leaves are off the trees, so the "Butcher Birds" are back. Jen and I spotted this Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor) this morning near Charlie's house off North Turkey Creek.

This bird catches other birds and eats them. If he can't eat them all in one meal, he pins their carcass on a barbed-wire fence or a thorn bush and returns for them later. Hence the name, "Butcher Bird".

They are migratory and only appear after the leaves are off the trees. Here are my Butcher Bird photos from 2010 and 2009.

Posted by Rob Kiser on November 13, 2011 at 5:16 PM

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