Silver Spring Merlin
Warblerick@aol.com
Fri, 6 Nov 1998 07:46:53 EST
Hi all,
Those of you who previously subscribed to The Ospreys Nest (before MDOsprey)
may remember that I had a winter roosting Merlin across the street from my
shop in Silver Spring MD (inside the beltway), first discovered on November
9,1994. It spent the winter, being seen sporadically until March 28, 1995.
The following November, on Nov.3, 1995 I again saw "the" Merlin but failed to
find it again that season. This may have been because the county cut the snag
on its' favorite perch tree where I regularly saw it, and it may in fact have
found another place to perch nearby.
I did not record any sightings for 1996 of this bird.
In 1997 it was seen from November 26 through December 5, then not again.
Last evening, as I was preparing to leave the shop, at just a couple of
minutes before 5, I habitually glanced up towards the tops of the trees, and
there perched a bird (on a snag of a rather tall tulip tree). I got out my
binoculars, and lo and behold, it was "the" Merlin!! Now I have absolutely no
way to know if all these sightings were of the same bird, but I must presume
it to be so, since it spends all its' time in a rather restricted area of
homes around our shop, showing up just before dark and actively hunting at
dusk. Last night, just after I first saw it perched, it took off heading west
and disappeared. I got in my van and left, driving up the short hill and made
my turn onto Warren St. As I drove by another tall tulip tree, there perched
the Merlin, plucking what looked like a Starling, feathers floating down on
the breeze.
If this bird remains and becomes as reliable as it was back in '94-'95, I
will keep you posted if anybody wants to see it. At any rate, I will post any
further sightings here as well.
Rick Sussman
Ashton,MD
Warblerick@aol.com