A Merlin pair has been noticeable around the upper village during April (single bird first noted on March 16), but it appears that they have not yet begun to nest. For the last several days, they have been doing a lot of vocalizing in the immediate vicinity of my house, on the block bounded by Bradley and Strowbridge Sts, and the county line division East Seneca Rd. Today I got extended scope views of the female grooming itself on its favorite perching tree of late, a black locust along the easterly side of Bradley north of #36. It was doing the majority of the "whinnying", with the male responding with sharp and short "kip" calls per Pieplow, which he names as a courtship or pair contact call. Twice I have seen the male fly right at the female on its perch, but immediately the female has flown out without apparent contact. One of the norway spruce trees that was being favored today had been recently visited by a crow pair with nesting material, but there was no sign of them today. Jared Dawson Trumansburg
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