Hi all,
My wife and I were driving over to Westminster shortly after 4 PM, heading
north on Woodbine Rd., not far from our house, when a hawk flew across the
road in front of us, and landed on a fence in a field next to the road. I said
"that looked like a Merlin", and asked my wife to turn around. She did, then
pulled off onto the gravel shoulder and parked. I got out and walked back
down the road with my bins (never leave home without them!), and got atop a
small hill near the edge of the road and looked back. It was indeed a Merlin,
and it was clutching something feathery in its talons!
And just yesterday I could've sworn a Merlin flew into our yard, scattered
the finches at the feeders, then took off and made a swiping pass at the birds
in the trees by the edge of the yard before heading into the neighbors field,
where it again swooped at something there. The only problem was I didn't
have my bins out, so could only say for sure it was a falcon, but I did suspect
Merlin. It was likely this same individual. Too bad I can't put it on my yard
list, but I will be keeping my eyes open now that I know there's one around!
These birds always amaze me with their speed and agility...
Rick Sussman
Woodbine,MD
Oh, and earlier today the local adult Cooper's Hawk was sitting on the edge
of my fountain, having taken a bath. It then jumped onto a wooden screen and
then off after things in someone else's yard. It comes around 2-3 times a day
lately, sometimes sitting in my platform feeder waiting for the birds to
return. I have yet to see it catch anything.
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