Subject: Re: Merlin alert
Date: Mar 10 15:37:15 1997
From: Christopher Hill - cehill at u.washington.edu




On Sun, 9 Mar 1997, Michael Price wrote:

> (Best line about Merlins is, in my opinion, in Pete Dunn's book, Hawks in
> Flight: "...a Merlin's territory can be inferred to be wherever it finds
> itself." That sums up perfectly the attitude--and I do mean 'attitude'-- of
> this hammered-down little welterweight among birds. See also Ted Hughes'
> marvelous little poem 'Hawk Roosting'.)

At the Fire Island hawk watch near New York City, all three migrating
species of falcons come in low along the barrier island dunes, sometimes
in big numbers. The high count for Merlins for one day is well over a
hundred. And migrating Monarch Butterflies come through by the thousands
(high one day count around 75,000). Anyway, one field character that the
hawk counters use to sort out the small falcons at great distances is a
sort of "harrassment index." If a small falcon flies within 40 feet of
another bird or a Monarch *without* veering to take a swipe at it, then
the falcon couldn't have been a Merlin.

Very pissy little hawks!

Chris Hill
Everett, WA
cehill at u.washington.edu