Possible Rusties, Definite Shrike This Morning

Hoping for Rusty Blackbirds I arrived at the State Game Area headquarters parking lot at 9:20 and from there definitely heard some "rusty gates" from north of the river.  Unfortunately some Blue Jays flew loudly from that vicinity (perhaps a raptor?) and all the singing stopped.  I stuck around for an hour hoping the flock would come back, but it never did.  There were a few European Starlings behind the building and a few Red-winged Blackbirds in the area too, so it's possible some of them made those gate sounds, but I really don't think so.

Timing is everything and my sticking around SGA that long meant arriving at the Wastewater later than I'd planned.  That delay provided my target bird: a Northern Shrike in the icy puddle just across from the headquarters driveway on White Road!  It carried a worm up to a nearby wire and ate it!  I didn't know shrikes ate worms, and I certainly wasn't looking for a shrike in a puddle!

Otherwise, 13 usual species at SGA, 19 at Wastewater, and unusual for a Saturday, only two other humans: the sheriff's deputy who came by while I was watching the shrike and a septic truck driver up near my Image of the Day: a graceful swan swimming amidst the whatever on the middle churning lagoon. ;-/

- Ric