Desert Bird

[luckyart60]

Think its a Wheatear, C&C welcome

http://i5.pbase.com/g6/45/100045/2/69032622.JQjP5kl2.jpg

[davewalters]

Hi - It's an Isabelline shrike, nicely captured too.

[dancinec]

What a neat capture, a Shrike, so it must be a carnivorous bird. I thought since you have "image editing OK" I would add a little contrast and sharpening to improve your shot a little bit.

[luckyart60]

Hi Dave, thanks you are correct with the Bird ID when I checked my pbase files I had it already tagged it a Shrike.
Hi Dennis thanks a sharper and better edit

[canonloader]

Nice looking bird. Do you know what it eats? Never been there, but isn't Qatar sort of bird poor? :)

[luckyart60]

Hi Mitch, Not to sure what the bird eats, my reference book Bird of the Middle East states '' Summer visitor passage Iran-Iraq and Arabia; rare Turkey and near east. Vagrant Cyprus. Habitat dry steppes with bushes and scattered acacias, semi-desert or barren mountains. Nests in bush.
Birds in Qatar, for sure I'm very envious of you guys that enjoy a vast amount of different birds. If you check out my pbase link below you can find the birds I have mananged to capture here.

[Gary Fairhead]

Nice capture here and i can't see the original shot but I do see the edit. Nice details, light and BG.

Northern and Loggerhead Shrikes eat other birds and kill their prey by impaling them on thorns or even barbs on barbed wire fences, I wonder if this bird behaves similarly.

[canonloader]

You got some nice birds in your gallery John. :)

[luckyart60]

Hi Gary, just before reading your post about the eating habits of this bird I had checked out and found this info quote...

Native from Scandinavia to eastern Europe, the red-backed shrike is a migratory bird that has predatory habits. Like most shrikes, the red-backed shrike uses its strong, hooked bill to catch prey, such as insects, slugs, and worms. After eating its fill, the shrike skewers its prey on a thorn or branch for later feeding.
Microsoft ® Encarta ® Reference Library 2005. © 1993-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.....unquote, so maybe the Isabelline is similar. Seems yours in Canada are more carnivorous.
Hi again Mitch thanks for your comments on my gallery.. I still have a few more to add when I get the chance to capture, but I dont think there are many more birds that migrate through here.