March 11, 2021
Loggerhead Shrike
Photo taken at East Bay Park, Georgetown, South Carolina
It wasn’t the mask that made me aware that this Loggerhead Shrike was a badass. It was because only the coolest of the cool can pull off sitting on the top rail of the back row of the bleachers. This cute little bugger is a stone-cold killer, among the world's smallest carnivores. Mostly feasting on beetles and other insects, they'll occasionally capture larger prey like lizards, rodents and even other birds. And when they do, they're proud of it. They skewer their victims on thorns or barbed wire, saving the kill for later consumption since the portion size of the prey is half the size of the predator. (Coincidentally, this is the very same reason I always take a to-go box of leftover carne asada fajitas from El Cerro.) This gruesome pantry serves as a grim warning to tread lightly, move in a zig-zag fashion, and keep your little rodent head on a swivel, lest it end up on a pike.
This particular shrike - I call him “Shrikey" - defends a territory that stretches from the tennis courts to the swing sets, widthwise, and extends lengthwise from the seventh hole of the frisbee golf course over the softball fiends to the tree bordering the "LARGE DOGS" pen of the off-leash dog park. My daily walk circumnavigates this domain and I'm ever searching out Shrikey's daily perch, hoping to see a little predator-prey action worthy of a Nat Geo episode titled When The Shrike Strikes!
I worry what it might say about me that I long to see such savagery. Were my forebears Vlad the Impaler fans? Did they hold season tickets to the Roman Colosseum? Were they the type to picnic at public hangings? This could explain my deep affinity for Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. Right or wrong, one sunny day I'll stake out in hope of witnessing a successful hunt. Picture me on a camp chair, earbuds tuned in to All Classical on the Tune-In app, coffee thermos in my right hand, binoculars in my left, awaiting a fatal strike. Hoping to see the last moments on Earth of a field mouse, or better still the Geico gecko.
"Crikey. Click here to save a bundle on car insurance, mate. Ah, who have we here? Look at this cute little fellow... Oh, dear God! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!”
As I stake out my new territory, broadening my business to two spheres of influence, I look for inspiration everywhere. To date, my strategy has been a stealthy one. Seeking out a sturdy, safe perch to take in the sights, sounds, smells, and the feel of a place, all the while keeping my head on a swivel. As yet, I'm not sure whom I most resemble, Shrikey or the Geico gecko. What I’m certain of is that hunger pangs will soon force me to pounce off this perch. Beware, little lizards. Here I come.
Or, maybe your ancestors were Vikings. Man, those people go on and on about their beheadings and bloody victories! Love the new forum for your musings.