Ranch Road

I took a trip out to Ranch Road after our banding session (which was full of interesting birds if you are interested) to see if I could say hello to the Say's Phoebe that has now made its 6th Winter stop-over. I was out of luck. All I could locate were a couple of Eastern Phoebes



Not a lot of other birds moving. While I was scanning the west fields I noticed someone peeking over the top of the small utility pole.



This female Downy Woodpecker went round and round on the pole until she decided on a specific spot to peck away, occasionally providing a profile view.



I was trying to get better shots of the Downy when I suddenly heard a strange series of calls. I looked around but could not locate the bird. Then it began directly overhead. Looking up, I found a Loggerhead Shrike nearly silhouetted against the blue sky.



Love those little white tail feathers! It has been awhile since I have seen a Loggerhead Shrike that close. Might as well leave on that note.