Hi everyone,

I stopped by Carnation Marsh on the way home this evening for about fifteen minutes, and it proved productive for raptors. (Fortunately I arrived in between rain showers.) The regular (and frequently vocal) Red Tailed Hawk was there as he has been predictably for a week or so. There was also a juvenile Cooper's Hawk, with a photo link at:

http://www.tubbsphoto.com/-/tubbsphoto/detail.asp?photoID=2712560&cat=37217

But the highlight of the stop was a MERLIN. I saw the bird from a distance near the top of a high snag, and from the size thought it was an American Robin or a Northern Flicker, but when I put the binocs on it the profile was clearly a raptor. Before I could set up the scope, the bird obliged by flying from its perch toward me and almost directly overhead only 30 or so feet high - leaving no doubt about the ID. Finally, a Pileated Woodpecker flew into a snag nearby and I got a passable image:

http://www.tubbsphoto.com/-/tubbsphoto/detail.asp?photoID=2712561&cat=37217

John Tubbs
Snoqualmie, WA
johntubbs at comcast.net
www.tubbsphoto.com