<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large;color:#073763">Last summer Merlins nested near my house (Port Townsend). One day I managed this two-minute audio of the interchange between the pair and several crows. Either the Merlin fledge was leaving the nest for the first time or an eagle was nearby. I couldn't see exactly, but the audio was great. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large;color:#073763"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large;color:#073763"><a href="https://ebird.org/checklist/S91440719">https://ebird.org/checklist/S91440719</a><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large;color:#073763"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large;color:#073763"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large;color:#073763"><br></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Fri, Sep 8, 2023 at 2:28 AM Robert O'Brien <<a href="mailto:baro@pdx.edu">baro@pdx.edu</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">I've seen exactly the situation multiple times. A couple memorable ones were: two crows versus a Merlin in South Florida. It's hard to know which was the aggressor here, they took turns. Initially the crows were diving at the Merlin which retaliated. This went on for about 10 minutes before the Merlin moved on. A migrant heading south likely over the Gulf. The crows residents. Another time it was a Raven versus a Peregrine in the Hills above Alviso California. Once again they switched places first The Raven going after the Peregrine then the reverse. Back and forth back and forth. Both of them masters of the air. Bob O'Brien Portland<br><br>On Friday, September 8, 2023, Michael Price <<a href="mailto:loblollyboy@gmail.com" target="_blank">loblollyboy@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size:12.8px">Hi tweets,</span><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size:12.8px"><br></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size:12.8px">Shep Thorpe writes: </span><span style="font-size:12.8px">We had nice looks of a MERLIN</span></div><span style="font-size:12.8px">unsuccessfully chasing swallows. </span><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size:12.8px"><br></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size:12.8px">Maybe not unsuccessful. One time in September, Mike Force and I were at Jericho Park on the west side of Vancouver BC's West side. There was a tall long-dead cottonwood snag on its south side containing a Merlin and an American Kestrel. For the next half-hour several times we witnessed these two suddenly start chasing each other. First, Merlin chasing Kestrel, return to the snag, rest, then Kestrel chased Merlin, return to snag, rest, a few minutes, rinse and repeat, the two of them alternating the chaser/chased roles at least three times. Tell me that's not play.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size:12.8px"><br></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size:12.8px">Jericho is longer east-west than wide north-south, about a kilometer and a half long. An unwitting Cliff Swallow (remember Cliff Swallows?) entered the park at the eastern end. The Merlin immediately rocketed off to intercept it. People, we then witnessed that Merlin literally toying with the terrified swallow </span><i style="font-size:12.8px">the entire length </i><span style="font-size:12.8px">of Jericho Park before <i>allowing it to go its way and returning to the snag.</i> At any moment that swallow's life was forfeit to the the little falcon: it could have easily slain the swallow at any point. I've seen that. But it <i>didn't</i>. Tell me that's not play.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size:12.8px"><br></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size:12.8px">Many years later, I watched a Merlin and two crows similarly taking alternating turns chasing, with at least <i>four</i> iterations. Both parties could have left at any point, but didn't. Tell me that's not play.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size:12.8px"><br></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size:12.8px">So, Shep, it may be less a case of an incompetent Merlin than one of a Merlin simply mucking about ('mookin abaht', as me old Lancashire gaffer would have said) in its just-screwing-around rough humor.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size:12.8px"><br></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size:12.8px">best, m</span></div></div>
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</blockquote></div><br clear="all"><div><br></div><span class="gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div><font size="4" color="#073763"><span></span>Steve Hampton<span></span></font></div><div>Port Townsend, WA (<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">qatáy</span>)</div></div><br><div><font color="#073763"><i><br></i></font></div></div></div>