merlin

[accipter]

I saw a merlin this morning in hertfordshire this must be early surely.

[RobS]

this morning in hertfordshire this must be early surely

Well if you don't tell us what time how can we comment?

I have seen perhaps 6 Merlins in my life and all but one were fairly rubbish views. However the one I saw, out in Dorset on a Sunday morning in October / November, was of a male sitting on a fence post right by the road. Beautiful air force blue back and very compact. It just sat there - how birding should be.

Anyway to answer your question (didn't we do this for Redwings last week?) I think Merlins have been seen - don't forget, as I am sure you know - they breed in the UK so can be seen somewhere all year round, but I know what you mean.

I'll have a look and report back to see where else they have been seen this last week or so.

Rob S

[RobS]

In the last 9 days they have been seen in:

Northumberland
Kent
Yorkshire
Cornwall
Staffordshire
Suffolk
Lancashire
Nottinghamshire
Sussex

Rob S

[hammock monkey]

this sounds like the beginning of a great poem!


I'm sorry I don't have anything more constructive to add, well spotted though!

[RobS]

I saw a Merlin this morning in Hertfordshire
This must be early surely
I've only ever seen one on this date before
In Surrey over Crawley

At later dates I have seen them at
Destinations multifarious
And always I enjoy the sight of
A Falco columbarius

But on reflection of my sighting this autumnal morning
And comparing with earlier sightings over York
Though my name on here is accipter
It was probably a manky old Sparrowhawk and not a Merlin at all

Rob S

[captaincarot]

i'm a bit confised how it can be too early to see resident breeding birds, but i've seen 2 in the last 3 weeks, one in lincs and the seconds on sunday at parkgate

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by captaincarot

i'm a bit confised how it can be too early to see resident breeding birds, but i've seen 2 in the last 3 weeks, one in lincs and the seconds on sunday at parkgate

Perhaps because they aren't resident breeding birds throughout the country. As a breeding bird they're virtually restricted to the moors + uplands to the north + west. Here in the south we only usually see them on passage or as wintering birds.

[RobS]

I assume accipter meant it was early in that location e.g. seeing one at say Portland or the New Forest at this time might be considered a bit early for those that may overwinter.

I think he (or she?)'s got a thing about first sightings in Autumn

Shall we have a bet what next week's species will be?

Rob S

[captaincarot]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

Perhaps because they aren't resident breeding birds throughout the country. As a breeding bird they're virtually restricted to the moors + uplands to the north + west. Here in the south we only usually see them on passage or as wintering birds.

aye i suppose you have a point here, appologies then

Originally Posted by RobS

Shall we have a bet what next week's species will be?

Rob S

waxwings , and for my next trick i will plait fog

[Jonathan]

My first 'wintering' merlin was seen on 3rd August, a female/juv near the Decca Pools on Burton Marsh, Cheshire. This particular merlin may well simply have been on passage, though several usually winter in the area. There were at least two merlins present at Parkgate (a little further down the Dee estuary) on Sunday evening, for example. We're lucky here in the North West, we get a lot of merlins wintering on the Dee and Ribble estuaries. In the harsh weather last winter we had hundreds of skylarks, meadow pipits and even fieldfare seeking food on the salt marshes, the raptors - of course - followed them. I estimated I saw six individual merlins at Marshside one morning (never easy to count when they're dashing around).

Cheers
Jonathan