A bird of a different feather spied

On a recent sunny Saturday afternoon, my husband, Scott, son, Samuel and I ventured out to Faye Luther trailhead for a hike. We weren't the only ones out to enjoy the stunning autumn weather; the parking lot was as full as I have ever seen it.

Samuel wanted to walk as he's very into doing things his way these days so we set out along the sandy trail, not quite sure how far we'd go.

Now let me say that hiking with a 2-year old is a completely different experience than hiking with, well, just about anyone. Sam's close proximity to the ground made it very easy for him to be entranced by such magical items as small stones, prickly pine cones and gnarled twigs. Every few feet he'd gasp and holler "Mama!" or "Dad!" before proudly holding up his latest find.

His sensitivity and appreciation for the largely overlooked things in life make my heart swell, though they don't always make for a brisk walk. This kinder, gentler pace was a blessing in more ways than one.

We approached the first large pine tree off to the right of the trail and something in the boughs above caught my eye. I looked up and saw a gray bird with black and white markings unlike any other I have ever seen before.

I'm the first to admit that I'm no bird expert, but this was not a magpie and was a different species than the ones I'm used to seeing on walks and bike rides. I pointed it out to Scott and he agreed.

Transfixed we were, watching the bird hop about from branch to branch. It was roughly the size of a jay, with strong black markings along its cheeks, wings and tail, and white feathers on the tips of its wings and under its long tail feathers.

A couple came upon the trail and I turned to point out our unique feathered friend and asked if they happened to be birders.

No sooner had the words left my mouth than the woman produced a bird book from her companion's backpack. Talk about coincidence. We spent the next several minutes trying to solve the mystery of the unknown bird.

Through process of elimination, we concluded that we were observing either a loggerhead shrike or a northern shrike. More common in Southern Canada, these birds are migratory and known to spend winters in Northern California and Nevada. They are predatory songbirds and feed on anything from insects and mammals to other small birds.

We thanked our new friends and spent a few more moments looking at the shrike before making our way up the trail.

Sam was a trooper. He hiked all the way to where the trail forks at the top and continued south to the waterfall where we used to take our beloved dog, Molly. We enjoyed a brief rest and threw some pebbles into the water before heading back. Sam decided he'd had enough walking and opted to ride on "Dad's" shoulders for our journey back to the car.

After further research on the bird at home, I'm pretty sure we saw a northern shrike, due to its slightly larger size. Has anyone out there spotted a bird similar to the one I've described?

Quick butternut squash soup

This is another recipe I got from www.recipezaar.com, though I've made a couple changes (eliminating extra salt and pureeing the entire pot of soup). It is fast and easy to whip up and would make a lovely addition to your Thanksgiving table.

In a large stock pot over medium heat, sauté one minced garlic clove and 1/2 c chopped onion in 1 t olive oil for three minutes. Add 1 t ground dried sage, 1/8 t ground black pepper, three cups fat free chicken broth, and 1 1/2 pounds peeled, seeded and cubed butternut squash (The squash is easier to peel than you might think). Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat. Cook 20 minutes or until squash is tender. Use stick blender, food processor or blender to puree soup. Garnish with parmesan cheese. I also like to add a dollop of sour cream.

Enjoy!

n Amy Roby can be reached by e-mail at RanchosRoundup@hotmail.com