Sorry for the sloppy handwriting and awful drawing, but hey, my fingers were freezing. Here is the translation with post-note clarifications in parenthesis:
In flight dark/wht contrast pattern (on wings), Solitaire-like, Shrike-like, Big hook on bill, calls with kay-kay, About size of a Kestrel, head browner than body, Black line at eye level, slightly below - white at top/back of eye (the black arch I show on the drawing indicates boundary of white near the eye, not a dark mark on the bird), Black wings with white showing, Light tan/gray body, long tail white edges, faint wavy breast, other birds terrified of it, House Finch attacked it.
Other behavior notes - flew over head, perched on snag for several minutes, dove into large shrub after other birds, came back to perch for several minutes, dove into large shrub. I never saw it agin.
Terry Gray from up in northern Idaho sent me this link to a photo he took that is exactly like what I saw this morning.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/terryandchristine/2893177539/in/set-740265/
Thanks to all of the IBLE folks for all the responses. It was unanimous in people identifying it as a juvenile Northern Shrike. That is what I thought it was when I looked through my field guides in my office. That makes life bird #311 for me as well as Avimor Bird #97. Seeing surprises like this is a very fun part of birding!
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