The fierce  Loggerhead Shrike has been spotted in Madera County, most likely making its way north to its breeding spots in Canada. Although only ten inches long, make now mistake this grey-colored songbird lives up to its fierce nickname of Butcher Bird.  The Shrike kills its prey, insects and lizards, by impaling it on sharp thorns or barbed wire like in the clip below.

Unfortunately even this tough bird isn't immune to pesticides, and it's numbers have suffered as a result. Its population has dropped 72 percent since 1967. Audubon California's Landowner Stewardship Program is working hard to discover new ways to farm that do not hurt birds. At the program's headquarters at Bobcat Ranch, ecologists test new methods to introduce in California's Central Valley.

(Photo by Terry Ross, Creative Commons BY-SA)