My only experience with breeding season Merlins in WA was of a male flapping
wildly (perhaps in a display flight) over tall oldgrowth south of Randle on the
road to Mt. Adams - in late June a few years ago. It was near dusk...the bird
looked very much like the Bat Falcon of the tropics in the gathering darkness.
Theres a secret out of the bag for everyone...
Andy Stepniewski
Wapato WA