![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/loggerhead-shrike-1921-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"loggerhead-shrike-1921-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\n1\/2000, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n I photographed the bird\u00a0yesterday morning on Antelope Island. The perch is cluttered with twigs that aren’t ideal but I usually had a clear view of the shrike and personally I still prefer an “imperfect” natural perch like this to a fence post or wire.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/1600, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n Perhaps the reason the shrike was unusually tolerant of my presence was because it was so intent on grooming. The bird worked over a significant portion of its plumage in the few minutes I\u00a0spent with it.\u00a0It’s hard for me to get preening shots I like because while they’re grooming birds usually have their nictitating membranes closed but this photo was an exception and I even got a bit of light in the eye.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/1600, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n Instead of closing its membrane this bird chose to partially close an eyelid so it could still see what it was doing and that’s something I don’t see very often.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/2000, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n I have several shots with the eyelid in this position – perhaps it’s akin to us squinting our eyes in conditions where we need to protect them but still see.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/2000, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n The shrike spent a lot of time cleaning its bill on the gnarly branch. I’m not sure why because both sides of it looked clean to me. Maybe this was just a very fastidious bird.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/2000, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n After an extended bout of preening and grooming the shrike turned its back to me,\u00a0gave me one last look\u00a0and flew off – away from me of course. But I still wasn’t through photographing it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n