Jim asked -

> Is it a tad early for urban Merlins?
>
> As I walked to my bus stop in north Tacoma this morning,
> a Merlin flashed overhead, trailed by a handful of
> protesting swallows. Last week at about the same time,
> this same Merlin (or its doppelganger) had also streaked
> by.
>
> Merlins regularly winter in my north Tacoma neighborhood,
> but they usually show up in October.
>
> So is this morning's Merlin jumping the gun a little?

Merlins around central BC here are on the move with many vacating breeding
territories the past week. Favorite wader sites usually have one on patrol ready to
strafe at the slightest excuse now. Methinks that it is quite likely you have a
northern Merlin moving in or through.

- Jack




Jack Bowling
Prince George, BC
jcbowling at mindlink.bc.ca