Subject: [Tweeters] more Merlin observations and thoughts
Date: Aug 6 16:22:35 2009
From: Barbara Deihl - barbdeihl at comcast.net


From observations I and others have made in the North Seattle areas
recently hosting nesting Black Merlins, here are a few things noticed
in the past couple of years that relate to John Tubbs' and David
Hutchinson's recent Tweetings:

1. August to October seems to be the general time that the young are
dispersing to other neighborhoods and areas and a time we have gotten
quite a few reports of Merlin sightings in general, away from the nest
sites we know of. Mid-late July seems to be training time for flight
and hunting.

2. There have been sightings in the city of Seattle, also during this
same timeframe, and on into late fall and winter, of the Taiga sub-
species and have been told by some with more raptor experience and
knowledge than we, that the Taiga and Black sub-species do interbreed,
producing of course, progeny with mixed field marks (and possibly
habits). Some say that the North Seattle group may have some Taiga
blood as some of their characteristics are not conclusively of the
Black race. We have seen Taiga Merlins in and near the nest sites,
mostly in pre- and post-breeding seasons.

3. I am again interested in getting sighting (or sounding) reports of
Merlins in the general Seattle area, but also from other spots in
King, Snohomish and Kitsap Counties. Only a few of the birds from the
N. Seattle family have a legband, and each band is metal: an adult
female of the mating pair (on right leg), a juvenile female from this
season (on left leg) and a now-adult male from last year's brood (on
left leg). We have no confirmed sighting of the latter since sometime
last fall, but he may still be around or off in other hunting
grounds. There is also at least one other adult Merlin banded at
Dick's hamburger stand on Queen Anne, this past winter - a left
legband, I think, and an adult male Black, although I am not sure of
this and welcome any corrections.

Please send any sightings of Merlins, from now through next April,
OFFLINE to me, Barb Deihl - questions and comments, too.

There are possibly 10 Black Merlins from this one pair, out there
looking for good habitat to in which to live and breed and they seem
to be finding favor with some urban environments. You're more likely
than ever before to see or hear a Merlin or 2 around town.

Barb Deihl

North Matthews Beach

barbdeihl at comcast.net