<html><body><div>TWEETERS EDITOR: Can you please replace my previous, original email post<font color="#3300FF"> <b>with this post</b></font> and add into Tweeters for July 15, 2022? <br></div><div><br></div><div>I edited (below) the original post <b><font color="#3300FF">'slightly'</font></b> because I purposely brought a bird specialist & friend along with me on the three MERLIN follow-up visits to confirm my ID of <u>prey</u> birds and <u>target</u> MERLIN species.</div><div><br></div><div>_______________________<br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div>July 14, 2022</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Hi Michelle,</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>I
visually encountered a MERLIN adult female 'alarm calling' while
conducting a Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) Route in WA - June, 2010.</div><div><br></div><div>I did three JULY follow-ups post-BBS to determine reproduction. I brought along my friend and bird specialist, Stuart Johnston, to confirm my ID calls because I knew most Tweeters did not know me from Eve.<br></div><div><br></div><div>On
one of these three visits, a MERLIN adult brought back an immature
Rufous hummingbird & also a
Pine Siskin on the same morning (co-partner friend & bird specialist, Stuart Johnston, confirmed my bird prey IDs & target MERLIN ID). <br></div><div>It perched with a prey item in its bill waiting for a food-transfer to its partner, who flew by, captured the prey
with its talons from its partner's bill, and then flew to the nest to
feed nestlings (heard only by Stuart & myself).</div><div><br></div><div>Sooo, what I am
suggesting with the described experience is that you may have also
witnessed an adult MERLIN capturing a Bushtit to feed to its nestlings.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>CJ FLICK</div>White Salmon, WA</div><div><u><font color="#3300FF">flick@gorge.net</font></u></div><div><br></div><br><blockquote style="border-left: solid 2px #000000; margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px;">---- OriginalMessage ----<br><b>From</b>: flick@gorge.net<br><b>To</b>: asmalllife@gmail.com<br><b>CC</b>: tweeters@u.washington.edu<br><b>Sent</b>: Thu, Jul 14, 2022, 04:39 PM<br><b>Subject</b>: Merlin capturing a Bushtit<br><br><div>July 14, 2022</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Hi Michelle,</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>I visually encountered a MERLIN adult female 'alarm calling' while conducting a Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) Route in WA - June, 2010.</div><div><br></div><div>I did three JULY follow-ups post-BBS to determine reproduction. <br></div><div><br></div><div>On one of these three visits, a MERLIN adult brought back an immature (most likely Rufous for this specific area) hummingbird & also a Pine Siskin on the same morning, perched with each prey in its bill to wait for a food-transfer to its partner, who flew by, captured the prey with its talons from its partner's bill, and then flew to the nest to feed nestlings (heard only).</div><div><br></div><div>Sooo, what I am suggesting with this described experience is that you may have also witnessed an adult MERLIN capturing a Bushtit to feed to its nestlings.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>CJ FLICK</div><div>White Salmon, WA<br></div></blockquote></body></html>