Merlin in the neighbourhood - not an uncommon occurrence

 


The merlin (sometimes called the pigeon hawk) is a smallish falcon that seems at home in regular neighbourhoods.  This one I photographed yesterday while visiting my son in Leduc, Alberta.  It had found a favourite perch in a large tree about four houses down from where he lives.  It is not the first time I have seen one in the suburbs.

There are three birds of prey I have seen Western Canada that have a stripped red and white breast.  These include the Cooper's hawk, the sharp-shinned hawk, and the merlin.  Of the three, only the merlin is a falcon and is the smallest.  Its swept-back wings clearly identify it.  The males (above) have a bluish-grey back while females sport a brown one.

I have seen merlins in the Lower Mainland, in Kelowna, and now in Leduc - all of them quite at home amid a busy human population.  I guess that suitably sized birds such as robins, pigeons, bluejays, and the like are in such abundance that there is never a risk of going hungry.

I have been aware of one being in the area as I have heard its cry while in flight.  I finally saw it land near my boy's house and I quickly brought out my camera to photograph it.  This spot seems to be a favourite spot as it returned to it after disappearing for a few minutes.  I also caught a few images of it in flight (below).  Normally I use 3D focus tracking when photographing flying birds, but my TC14III seems to have prevented it from working.  Instead I, used the multiple focus point (wide area) with continuous focus to capture images.  Not great, but OK.

Male merlin in flight, Leduc, Alberta.  Notice the swept-back wings.

I got a few pretty good photos of the merlin while perching in the tree.  It was exciting to both see the bird and capture some nice shots.  

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com

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