Hi Tweeters,

Yesterday a Prairie Merlin was on the power pole in my backyard. We
live within half a mile southwest of the Yakima airport. A photo of it
(the Merlin) is in the new photos folder on my website:
http://www.granstrand.net/gallery/newphotos.

I have a folder of Merlin photos I have taken since 2003:
http://www.granstrand.net/gallery/album84. Including the photo from
yesterday, I have photos of nine Merlins, four of which were Prairie
Merlins. Of these nine Merlins, four of them have been on the same
power pole in my backyard and three others have been in trees along
the street we live on, which is two blocks long. One Prairie Merlin
was in French Canyon west of Cowiche eating a chickadee and one was on
a power pole east of Moxee eating a House Sparrow.

Prairie Merlins are supposed to be rare to very rare in Eastern
Washington (from "Birds of Washington".) Maybe the power pole in my
backyard is a hotspot for them.

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Denny Granstrand
Yakima, WA
dgranstrand AT gmail.com
Denny Granstrand's bird photos can be seen at:
www.granstrand.net/gallery/