Loggerhead Shrike, Burrowing Owl, and a Curlew

This morning while Anna and I were out searching for Long-billed Curlew nests, we found a single Loggerhead Shrike hunting around an abandoned cattle loading area/corral in one of our curlew sites (the “Emmett A” site). This is the first shrike we have seen in Idaho and since they are one of my favorite birds, it was quite a treat. I wasnt able to get too close to the bird, so I didnt get the best photo, but the early morning sun made for nice lighting at least. We also stumbled upon two Burrowing Owls outside their burrow (photo below). Curlew nest searching has been getting pretty frustrating lately since we have been heavily searching areas that look very promising for a nest, based on the bird’s attitudes once we get near the area, but we have been coming up empty-handed; below is a photo of a male curlew that flew right over my head.

Loggerhead Shrike (photo by Alex Lamoreaux)

Burrowing Owl (photo by Alex Lamoreaux)

Long-billed Curlew - male (photo by Alex Lamoreaux)