Watching about 600 European Starlings in the field as the flock slowly rose and flew from one side of the road to the other was mesmerizing.
The sky was blue, sun was bright, and a cool breeze blew in from the west.
Suddenly, the starlings scattered in all directions.
Flying quickly away from the field in small groups.
I looked carefully at the birds to try and discover what caused the commotion.
And then I saw it.
A larger bird with a longer tail.
The slightly larger, dashing and speedy Merlin chasing the starlings.
About the size of a Blue Jay and a bit larger than an American Kestrel, the Merlin had no success finding lunch and eventually settled on the fence post.
Merlins are fierce and quick small falcons with sharp pointed wings,.
They’ll capture a small bird mid-air in flight.
We don’t often see Merlins in southeast Michigan; they’re considered rare in our county and the counties around us.
I was excited to see one this month; I haven’t seen any Merlins since spring.
Do you have Merlins in your area? Or have you ever seen one?
