Hi Tweeters,
If it isn't too late to comment about Richardson's Merlins in western WA, I'd like to add the following comments.
I've been looking at Merlins here in the Puget Sound basin for quite awhile, sometimes pretty intensively. I have never seen what I thought to be a "Prairie Parkland", i.e. Richardson's Merlin, over here on the "wet side".
I did see a photograph of what looked like a Richardson's sent to me by Steve Herman many years ago. I think it was taken down at Gray's Harbor in spring. But that is the only possible one I am aware of at this time. Plus to get a positive ID, you'd really need to have them in hand. There are alot of pale columbarius morphs that can show up here which might be mistaken for the richardsonii form.
We did band an incredibly beautiful adult male Richardson's fall migrant at Entiat Ridge near Leavenworth a couple of years ago but that is as close as I have come so far. But again, that was east of the Cascade crest. Several of my colleagues have reported them occurring in the Spokane area during winter and they are also known to nest in southern BC.
But in my experience, this form is pretty rare over here in W. WA.

Bud Anderson
Falcon Research Group
Box 248
Bow, WA 98232
(360) 757-1911
bud at frg.org