A Visitor From The North

The Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor) is a rare visitor to West Virginia. It is uncommon to rare; even in the spruce forests of the Far North where it breeds. This predator feeds on small mammals and birds. This photo was taken in Canaan Valley, Tucker County, WV on 1/10/12. I only had the opportunity for one single photo. This bird is extremely spooky and doesn't like to stay in the same spot for any extended period of time.
I was able to crop the photo and you can see more detail in the bird. Note the narrow mask, white around the eye and the hooked bill on the smaller photo. The Loggerhead Shrike, which is not common; but more common in our area has a much wider mask.