Loggerhead shrike

I haven't seen one of these guys in years, they have been shrinking in numbers for years. They are raptor like predators that will hang their prey on a thorn or a barb of barbed wire. I was really happy to have found this one.

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Wow....I would love to see, let alone get a shot of this bird. They are very rare around here. We are more likely to see the Northern Shrike. The first shot is my favourite. Even though he is on barbed wire ...they use it as you indicated to hang their prey. Also known as the Buthcher Bird...they must be one of the smallest preditors of small birds.
Great work Paul!

I really like that first shot of the Shrike. They are very cool birds which I haven't seen in ages.

Thanks Gary and Dan, definitely one of my favorite birds as well.

Great shots of a great bird! I've always wanted to see one of these.

Yep, his beak has that downward turn of the raptors. #1 is well done.

First shot is very nice !! Thanks for sharing.

Nice catch!

Thanks N, Blue, Reigh, and CDS, I hope I can find more of these interesting birds.

great pics the uk has a couple of shrike species but these are also very rare the only chance of photographing them would be in their breeding season which would mean a license from the goverment the chances of getting a pic like yours aren,t too good im afraid

Thanks K. I wonder why the loggerheads are doing so poorly?

it cant be their food source in the uk its beetles, mice , shrews ,its either their breeding habitat or the predators above them the uk shrikes are roughly starling size

Very handsom bird.

Well done Paul, nice shots you've got of this interesting bird. I really quite like both for different reasons, can't decide which I prefer more.

Great shots, Paul. Are those straight out of the camera?