Merlin Meal
Here’s a little Throwback Thursday to a very recent day – my Christmas Bird Count! This Merlin (Falco columbarius) was the last new species added to our section of the count circle, and we enjoyed it chasing House Sparrows upon initially sighting it. A Cooper’s Hawk came out of nowhere and scared all of the birds, startling the falcon and causing it to drop its prey. However, a little while later we saw it had successfully captured another House Sparrow, this time without losing the meal. It took the bird to a snag and went on with its early evening dining under cloudy late...
Read MoreWhite-throated Sparrows massing and feeding
White-throated Sparrows have arrived in tremendous numbers across the region, ready to eat you out of house and home all winter long! Before then, while the grass and earth is still exposed, without being snow-covered or frozen, they can feast on more natural meals. I took a bunch of photos of a few individuals in a group feeding on the lawn last week. There would not be much to chow down on if this were uniformly treated bright, green grass, one species that was chemically induced to look like the perfect lawn. These monocultures are taking up valuable habitat real estate and often consist...
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