Saya Novinger took this photo of a Loggerhead Shrike late in the afternoon at Red Rock Canyon State Park recently.
The bird was perched on a fence rail, looking around at its surroundings. The sun had already set behind cliffs at the Ricardo campground. The shrike then darted to the ground suddenly, and then flew back up with a small mouse in its bill.
Loggerhead Shrikes (Lanius ludovicianus) are predatory birds, but they are not raptors, they are actually songbirds. Their main diet is insects and other invertebrates like grasshoppers, beetles, etc., but they also eat reptiles, small mammals, amphibians, and occasionally smaller birds.
Loggerhead Shrikes are typically found in open areas, and can often be seen perched on barbed wire fences or fenceposts, looking for something to catch. Oldtimers often knew them by the name “Butcherbirds” for their habit of storing prey items by impaling them on thorns, barbed wire barbs or in the fork of shrub and tree branches. This practice provides food for later, and may also serve as a way for male shrikes to impress potential mates with their hunting prowess.
Interestingly, this photo was taken using an iPhone held up against one lens in an old 1880s pair of field glasses that were made in France for the American market. These small binoculars have impressive optics, despite their age, and are still fully functional.
The field glasses were purchased from Bobbie Roberts, who has a family business called The Rational Past with her husband Al and daughter Jo. They sell a wide variety of antique and vintage precision tools and equipment, as well as renting some of them for use as Hollywood props in historical productions. They have been part-time residents of Bear Valley Springs for many years.
NATURAL SIGHTINGS is a regular feature of the Tehachapi News edited by Jon Hammond which showcases photos of the natural beauty that enhances the quality of life in Tehachapi. If you have a good quality image of plants, animals, insects, trees, birds, weather phenomena, etc., taken in the Tehachapi area, you may submit it to the Tehachapi News for possible publication. Submissions can be dropped by the News office in the form of a print or CD, or sent by email to: editorial@tehachapinews.com.