Hi everyone,



My Merlin post from yesterday?triggered a number of off-list e-mails from folks who have also been privileged to see Merlin hunting behavior and other antics - I enjoyed reading each one, thanks!?



I should have mentioned in the original post for those raptor folks in the area who are keeping track of subspecies that this bird was a Taiga (or a hybrid that showed Taiga coloration).? I am almost - 95% - certain it was an adult male, based on reviewing the Taiga subspecies (Boreal in this reference) photographs in Wheeler's Raptors of Western North America .?



Unfortunately, I haven't seen the?Merlin yet today, though that may have been because I spent some time at Three Forks and on Neal Road (near Fall City) this morning.? Nothing rare seen, but a couple notes from those two locations follow.



Lincoln's Sparrows were everywhere this morning at Three Forks, a few on Neal Road, and a FOS bird in my backyard.? I had a beautiful MacGillivray's Warbler feeding low along the slough at Three Forks inside the dog run area by the bark path, just past the picnic table (not that he'll be there much longer, obviously!).? Other warblers included several Orange-crowned and two Black-throated Grays at Three Forks and an Orange-crowned along Neal Road.? Swainson's Thrushes were very common at Three Forks, 'whitting' away everywhere - to the extent that I had good looks?of at least four birds.? The slough at the far end of Neal Road near the closure barricades had numerous wood ducks, including at least three drakes that are well?on their way to completing their molt into breeding plumage.?



The best bird of the morning from a personal viewpoint was a very active Olive-sided Flycatcher along Neal Road, just past the pumpkin patch farm following the 90 degree turn to the right.? The bird was at the top of a snag tree flycatching with deadly accuracy.? This species has, for me anyway, not been as easy to find in recent years and so I was glad to see this bird, and even got some video of it.?





John Tubbs

Snoqualmie, WA