Merlin spotted

["Stephen Peterson" <cllslp at msn dot com>]

I just watched a female merlin (columbarius) wolf down a junco on top of a utility pole in my backyard in Logan.

I got back from school around 930 am this morning, walked around to the back door and heard the incessant alarm clicks of juncos. I looked up at the utility pole and at first thought it was a kestrel.

Grabbed the binocs from inside and saw that it was a female merlin with heavy dark brown striping on the chest and belly, dark brownish cap, nape and back. Prominent eyebrow and mustache. Beautiful bird!

I watched it for about 20 minutes, ripping the flesh off of the bird, feathers flying. After she was done eating, the merlin scraped its talons against the wooden pole, apparently cleaning up. She then swiperd her small compact bill back and forth on the pole, wiping her mouth clean. She then took off, flying to the north.

 

I had seen a male merlin last November and it had been spotted around the USU campus a couple of other times during the course of the winter.

 

Stephen




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