Hi Tweets:
This afternoon there was a Merlin at Pike Place Market. I climbed into my
car and there it was, about 8 feet in front of me, perched on blackberry
vines, occasionally moving its head. It looked like a juvenile Taiga. Its
back is mottled brown, and it seems large, possible a female. With its
mottled coloring, it really blends into the color of the thicket. I waited
quite a while, trying to see its tail or legs, but the bird never moved,
except its head, despite several cars unloading people right there, and me
getting in and out of the car to look at it better. I was parked on Western
Ave in the open-air parking lot which is just to the south of an inside
parking lot. The lot is just below the crafts section of the market. I was
parked in stall #29. It was sunny, and about 50 degrees at 2pm. I figure
this bird probably snacks on the pigeons down there. It looked quite
content. The blackberry vines border Western Ave.
Yours, Carol Schulz
DesMoines
linusq at att.net