I find predation both fascinating and traumatic to witness, but I'll admit a prejudice: I don't bemoan the loss of abundant and abusive exotics such as House Sparrows or European Starlings, and I think Merlin food is a good function for them. American Robin nestlings are cute once they get some feathers, but to be honest, somebody had better eat some of them, because if they all survived to adulthood (2 or 3 broods of 3 to 5 young per pair per year) we'd be knee-deep in Robins in a year or two. Still, it is sobering to think of a neighborhood gone quiet and devoid of birds. I figure if the prey base has been removed, the Merlins will nest somewhere else next year, and I hope to hear from Jim Kimball how long it takes for the bird life in the neighborhood to recover. And I hope that watching the Merlins was adequate compensation for all they ate or drove off.
--Dave Nutter
On Dec 08, 2011, at 06:25 PM, Linda Orkin <wingmagi...@gmail.com> wrote:
Dave This I a really interesting post from a very observant man. Thanks for following up in this and contacting him. Love all the birds but this narrative gives me a bit of a chill down my spine.Linda Orkin
Sent from my iPhoneJust to add to the discussion of Merlin prey, below is one birder's notes on what Merlins either ate or scared off during the course of the nesting season this year in a neighborhood in a small city in western NY. No doubt the prey items are based on availability, and they would differ somewhat in other parts of Merlins' range and in other habitats such as rural areas, as well as differing on migration. While it seems a variety of birds were taken, it looks like House Sparrows may have been a significant part of their diet.--Dave Nutter
Begin forwarded message:From: lj...@rochester.rr.com
Date: December 08, 2011 5:19:02 PM
To: nutter.d...@me.com
Subject: Re: Fwd: What did 'your' Merlins eat?
>>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> > From: Dave Nutter <nutter.d...@me.com>
> > Date: December 8, 2011 2:47:03 PM EST
> > To: kimb...@geneseo.edu
> > Subject: What did 'your' Merlins eat?
> >
> > Jim Kimball,
> > There's been some discussion on Cayugabirds-L lately about what Merlins eat. I recall you writing on Geneseebirds-L that the Merlin family had an impact on birds in your Geneseo neighborhood this past nesting season. Recognizing that this was only one urban nesting situation, I'm wondering if you'd be willing to share your impressions, or data if you have them, of what birds the Merlins took, or what seemed to be missing from the neighborhood after their scourge. Thanks.
> > --Dave Nutter
>Dave,
There were only a few identifiable remains that I could definitely credit to the Merlins: about 6 House Sparrows, 1 Chipping Sparrow and 1 Cardinal. These were among remains on a neighbor's driveway, which was under a Walnut tree where I could watch them storing and occasionally eating something that one or the other of the adults had brought in. I believe there were at least a couple other roost perches, but not where it was easy to see what fell to the ground. According to the neighbor he had been finding dead bird remains for some weeks before I started looking for them - and for the most part he couldn't identify them. I also saw the adult male Merlin take a small Robin out of a nearby nest. The adult Robins were obviously upset; I didn't see any sign that they successfully fledged young out of that nest; and I didn't hear any of the usual summer singing Robins within the neighborhood. Neighbors up the street saw an adult Merlin raid another Robin nest, shortly after the young Merlins fledged and started moving out in that direction.
Nearly all our usual summer birds disappeared along the street, up to 8-10 houses up the street.
There was a Starling nest close to the Merlin nest in May and they disappeared, as did a couple usual resident Starlings further up the street.
We had 60 or more House Sparrows coming to our feeders into May and by mid June or so there were none to be found. I took the feeders down about then after I found the Cardinal remains. Another Cardinal which had been singing every morning also disappeared. Our usual Titmice and Chickadees which we could normally hear around the area disappeared. We stopped hearing a singing Carolina Wren in June - but they have tended to come and go rather unpredictably anyway (two showed up in the Fall). The only other birds which I noticed every once and a while (and don't know if the Merlins went after them or not) were a Nuthatch and an occasional Mourning Dove.
When the young had fledged and they moved up the street, on one occasion I saw an adult Merlin chasing after House Sparrows and seeming to catch one.
Jim Kimball
Geneseo NY
Jim Kimball
Crows, which are usually common in out neighborhood and which had previously nested where the Merlins were, learned to avoid the area. The Merlins would go after any Crow which came near - also on one occasion a low flying Turkey Vulture.
---- James W Kimball <kimb...@geneseo.edu> wrote:
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