Loggerhead Shrike
There’s just something about shrikes that fascinates me. Maybe it is there understated black/gray/white plumage that appeals to me, shown here on this Loggerhead Shrike from the Gilbert Water Ranch. Or perhaps it is their unique place in the world of birds – they are officially songbirds but they live the lifestyle of small raptors actively catching insects, lizards, mice, and occasionally other birds (the Lenni Lenape indians called them Little black-and-white singing hawk). Or it could be their mostly solitary ways and limited numbers. Whatever it is, I’ve been interested in them since I saw my first one back in my birding days in New Jersey where they are rare and declining.
When birding became my primary leisure activity I marked the event by getting a personalized license plate (aka Vanity plate), like many of the most active birders in NJ and surrounding states proudly display on their cars.
NJ Vanity Plate
And when we moved to AZ in 1994 I carried on the tradition (something I see a lot less of here than I did in NJ) with this custom plate.
AZ Vanity Plate
See all my vanity plates on my web site.
