Ontbirders, This morning, at Pittock Lake, I observed an adult male Merlin with characteristics suggestive of a Richardson's - pale cheek, pale powder blue-gray mantle, paler rump and crown and sparsely streaked underparts with a clean white background colour, lacking buff tones on the flanks and undertail coverts.
For a Merlin, it was certainly acting strangely - perching along the waters edge [and sometimes in the water] and making a few quick aerial stabs into the shallows. Fishing, by the looks of it although I have never seen this behavior in this species. Other Pittock birds of note were 5 Cackling Geese with the thousands of semi-resident Canada's. Waterfowl, in general, are trickling back to the lake after being forced out after a freeze-up a few weeks ago. Cheers, James Holdsworth, Biological Consulting Services 14 Marian St, RR#1 Woodstock, On, N4S-7V6 [519]537-2027 226-228-1428 [cell] - note - NEW jmholdswo...@rogers.com _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup
