Merlin in Morgan County

["Kristin Purdy" <kristinpurdy at comcast dot net>]

Pomera Fronce and I saw a MERLIN near the Morgan City Water Treatment 
Lagoons in Morgan County this morning.  This merlin was either a female 
or juvenile prairie merlin, F.c. richardsonii.  I was somewhat surprised 
to see a Merlin this early as I usually don't start seeing numbers of 
them until the cold weather sets in in late fall.  However, Wheeler's 
Raptors of Western North America says the first juveniles arrive in 
early September.

Wow--did we have a good long look at this falcon in the scope--for 
perhaps 15 or 20 minutes.  

The Merlin was perched in the dead upper branches of an otherwise live 
tree and was receiving LOTS of attention from other birds.  We saw 
agitated American Goldfinches and House Finches land in the dead 
branches or fly over to worry the Merlin.  Several Barn Swallows 
expressed their displeasure by diving at the falcon from overhead.  But 
the funniest sight was a Downy Woodpecker we heard whinnying and flying 
in from afar.  That woodpecker really wanted to land, but the falcon's 
presence was too intimidating.  The Downy followed one circling, 
scalloping flight path above the tree, and then another, and then a 
third.  Three times was enough to understand the avian 'No Vacancy' 
sign, and the Downy flew off to find its own Merlin-free snag.

Nice bird for a warm, sunny summer day!

Kris

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