Too bad they don't stick to just eating starlings. On Monday, December 3, 2018 at 10:22:10 AM UTC-7, Jared Del Rosso wrote: > > Two weekends ago (11/24), while birding Marjorie Perry Nature Preserve > (Arapahoe), I encountered a Merlin with a fresh catch, a small bird that I > believe was a Townsend's Solitaire. More accurately, the Merlin encountered > me, flying into my path, about 20 feet or so ahead of me, and perching > above me. The Merlin was indifferent to my presence, plucking, > eviscerating, and eating the bird in plain view. It didn't even leave its > perch when, many minutes later, I passed underneath. (I waited for the > Merlin to be long done eating before crossing its path; by the time I left > it, it had moved on to cleaning whatever it hadn't swallowed from its > talons and beak.) But two robins, boldly encroaching, got it to go. > > For once, I had my camera with me and the light wasn't terrible. So I have > decent photos of the entire encounter. The eating lasted about 13 minutes, > but the bird was on its perch for longer than that. I stopped photographing > after about 20 minutes. A few minutes later, it flew across the preserve > and out over the High Line Canal. > > One photograph included. I'd welcome second opinions on the prey. > > [image: DSC_0382 Merlin with Prey.jpg] > > It was, for me, a rather remarkable encounter. Once, years ago, I came > face-to-face with a Merlin at a feeder during a cold St. Paul, Minnesota > CBC. Usually, though, my views are from much farther below or are briefer > or are both. > > > - Jared Del Rosso > Centennial, CO >
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