Near the trailhead on the way back from the Opax Mountain HIke, we noticed a Northern Shrike. Soon it dropped down out of site and came up with what appears to be a Deer Mouse. It flew to an Aspen tree and tried to impale it there but the mouse ended up slipping off and falling below. The Shrike then retrieved it and flew over to a Hawthorn Bush where it was able to wedge the mouse in a position where it could tear it into bite size pieces. It is common knowledge that Shrikes do this but I had never seen it live before. After a while, it flew to another tree so we moved in closer to investigate its impaling job.




