merlin

[plotstoeat]

There was a merlin on next door's wall today (and it wasn't wearing a pointed hat). It's about the fourth time we have seen it in the past year. No wonder there were no other birds around.
Anyone else seen anything unusual lately?

[plotstoeat]

[Ellen K]

Have you or your neighbour got a bird table?  Or as the Merlin would call it, a Smorgasbord.

Not unusual but today I saw a Brownbird collecting nesting material.  But it's not really spring until you see your first bit of hedgehog poo on the lawn.

[cornykev]

That's magic.   :-X

[tonybloke]

only ever seen a Merlin once in our back garden, they're very fast, ain't they?

[cornykev]

Your right Tone they are quick, they don't just WANDer about.    :P

[plotstoeat]

They are fast. It took off after a starling and I would bet that the starling is no more. ( I liked the smorgesboard crack!)

[Robert_Brenchley]

They're about the only bird that can catch a swift.

[Unwashed]

I'm not sure I've ever seen a merlin.  I find the hawks and falcons very difficult to tell apart.  I think I saw a hobby hunting dragon flies down by Southampton once.

[Flighty]

Lucky you, I've never seen one in the wild!

[Toadspawn]

Not seen a Merlin but I watched a Sparrow Hawk in the garden again today for about 15-30 minutes. It sat quietly on a branch in a Camelia bush watching for its food (I feed the birds every day). Luckily the small birds were able to make the shelter of the hedge before the Sparrow Hawk. The hawk then sat on the hedge above the bird watching for it and it was so fast that the small bird didn't stand a chance. Once it came within about 4' of the window whilst I was watching it.
Two days ago I was standing in the garden and on hearing a bit of fluttering turned around and about 10' away on the dead twigs of a Fuchsia was the hawk with a bird in its talons.
It may seem cruel but they only catch what they need to eat (unlike cats).

[Joe11]

Not seen a merin before either but like others i struggle to differentiate between our birds of prey and has been over a year since ive done any bird watching at all  :( Did see a rough legged buzzard last year though which i was pretty pleased with even if he was miles away and could only be seen with a scope  ::)

[birdsrfun]

Red Kites and Buzzards are our commonest hawks here (Mid Wales) have seen Sparrow Hawk and Peregrines too.

[Robert_Brenchley]

We have resident kestrels on the site, and the odd sparrowhawk and buzzard. I never saw buzzards locally till a couple of years ago, and I don't know why we get so few sparrowhawks as it seems ideal country for them. I once saw a peregrine go over; they breed on the other side of the city.