Merlin – CrazyM Bird & Nature Photography

Peregrine & Merlin

The tidal flats at Boundary Bay today were as quiet as my last visit a couple of days ago. I did try for a short while to get some Pipits, but they were not cooperating.

There were a couple of small groups of Pectoral Sandpipers present with a lone Least Sandpiper. The action for the afternoon came courtesy of a Peregrine Falcon. Ever present in this area when the shorebirds are migrating,

… this Peregrine swooped in low along the beach snagging one of the few Pectoral Sandpipers. On the topic of falcons,

… this Merlin was perched in a tree as I arrived back at my car. A nice bonus shot to end the day.

Coot, Phalarope, Cowbird & Merlin

Another Sunday afternoon at Reifel. The juvenile American Coot from last week was still present today. Only this time,

… it was less wary of people and allowed for a closer shot. A couple of weeks ago it was some juvenile Wilson’s Phalarope that made an early appearance.

This afternoon it was the first Red-necked Phalarope. Along with the Dowitchers and Yelllowlegs, there was also five Pectoral Sandpipers. On my way back along the east dyke trail,

… there was this lone juvenile Brown-headed Cowbird. And the bonus bird of the day at the foot of the trail,

… was this Merlin. It had just finished eating and was being harassed by the song birds in the area.

Grosbeak, Goshawk & Merlin

It was a grey and drizzly afternoon, so there were not the usual Sunday crowds at Reifel. The Red Crossbill were apparently still around this morning, but I did not catch up with them today. A Great Horned Owl was along the east dyke trail along with the usual Northern Saw-whet Owls and some Common Redpoll on the inside trails. The Evening Grosbeak were also back.

I had a fleeting moment to try for a couple of shots,

… and only managed these before they moved back into the tree tops. Shooting up into the trees on a day like today is not ideal with the bright grey background. So as luck would have it with these conditions, what showed up in the tree tops across from the tower later on?

The Northern Goshawk that has been around for some time, but I had yet to get any photos of. And as if to add insult to injury,

… a Merlin shows up in the same tree not long after it left. What are the odds of this repeating itself on a sunny afternoon?