Merlin, Milton

[Napper]

Was surprised to find a Merlin perched atop the front peak of my roof on Thursday when I arrived home from work. From a distance  I thought it was a Sharp Shinned Hawk when I arrived in my driveway it became evident that it was a Merlin.

It flew off just as I was about to take an image with my phone.

Napper  

[Shortsighted]

Ya, par for the course.
Sometimes I wonder how they know we're about to take a photo.
I think my reaction time to a sighting is already compromised by
my "why bother" conditioning.

[Axeman]

I can't spot the differences....today I found a bird flying over head...dark....had pointed wings kinda V'ish....fan tail....definitely a raptor....not a red wing hawk b/c of wings....I'm going to go with a peregrine falcon b/c I don't think I've ever seen one in the wild and...well....there you go...now I've seen one....did I tell you about the time I saw bigfoot?

[Napper]

Axeman at the bottom of this post there is a link to my FLKR page

which is really out of date  but you will find multiple images of Raptors including a Merlin or two taken at the cottage

Napper at the beach

[Axeman]

I looked....wow you've had some fabulous spots....of course you had to add the snowy on the building....peregrine really floored me....I'd never be able to tell in a hurry PF from CH or SSH....geez I couldn't believe the CH on the roof of car with prey....that kinda stuff never happens to me.... :roll:

[Dinusaur]

For more than six weeks my wife and I enjoyed the company of 6 Merlin in our residential neighborhood in Thornhill, Vaughan; two adults and three fledglings. For a while during our evening stroll we would always see them sitting on a neighboring rooftop. We used to wake up hearing the intense vocalization of the juveniles; now it has quieted down as they are becoming independent. I never thought I would see Merlin in a residential place let alone having them nesting on a tree nearby. I had the opportunity of photographing them when they landed on my roof a few times. Despite what the neighborhood Robins thought of their presence we very much enjoyed the privileges that we were accorded to. I hope that the adults return next year to start another brood.