bird snapshots and more on Merlins

Another windy morning, completely overcast and kinda coolish. Although I would have said that windy weather was mainly good for big birds and top flyers, one new birdlet did in fact turn up: a Brown Creeper seen twice in two different places.

There were male and female Belted Kingfishers on the creek but I don't think this was a love feast but rather a chase of the get-outta-my-territory variety (the female was chasing the male!).

Skeins of Double-crested Cormorants took to the skies in silent V-shaped formations and there was one honking Canada Goose V formation in the air. The morning tide was very high but by the afternoon it was low enough to host a Greater Yellowlegs,

The Tupelo berry harvest has been completed; as far as I can tell, there are no berries left and the big hip crowds of berry eaters -- Robins, Flickers, Catbirds, House Finches -- were not to be seen. An exception was the Goldfinches; the thistles are just about done but there are still groups of Goldfinches around, mast of them young of the year.

A propos of the question of Merlins chasing big and bigger birds, Carl Safina sent this comment: "Merlins like to play. I’ve seen merlins and peregrines chasing each other back and forth. I’ve watched merlins catching monarchs. Play, not hunting for food. I also used to train and lure-fly merlins and did a little hunting with them. Ideal prey size is sparrow-sized. They easily handle starlings. Less easily tackle mourning doves (they’re hard to catch but not too hard for merlins to handle if they catch them. I saw a merlin catch a sanderling. I’ve heard of them catching pigeons but I think that’s extreme for merlins."

Eric Salzman