Four Swans and a Singing Northern Shrike

When we first drove up to the parking lot at Bennington Lake this morning, there were four TUNDRA SWANS on the water along with 11 COMMON MERGANSERS and 5 MALLARDS.  On the south end of the lake we were serenaded by the sweet song of a NORTHERN SHRIKE.  Who knew that this bird that has been nicknamed the "butcher bird" because of it's tendency to impale its dinner on a barbed wire fence, would have such a beautiful song!  We also saw five NORTHERN HARRIERS swooping over a wheat field on the east side and ended the day watching a LONG EARED OWL along the trail.  BEWICK'S WRENS and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS were singing, and a pair of AMERICAN KESTRELS posed for us from the top of a tree.  It was breezy, but the sun came out to help us warm up and enjoy the walk.   Ginger