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Merlins


bruno22rf
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4 hours ago, bruno22rf said:

Bit off track but , in my near 60 years on this earth, I have never seen a Merlin - anybody see them regularly?Just wondered?

Very random question Bruno, I've only seen, kestrels, buzzards, tawny owl, barn owl and red kite in the wild, loads of BOP I've yet to see. 

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I used to use country lanes a lot when i was working and several times i have followed one flying about a foot off the road doing about 30 miles an hour, have followed them for hundreds of yards and then suddenly they turned into a gateway or gap in the hedge.

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Used to see them regularly on the lower hills around Dalwhinnie back in the 70's between Loch Erict and Loch Cuaich before the Motorway was built.

They would hunt Dragonflys and Swallows. I believe they are ground nesting  birds over the Moors/Hills.

Stunning things on par with Hobbys for agility. 

 

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Seen more of them in Suffolk in recent years. Autumn/Winter a good time to see them along the coast here. Minsmere, Dunwich, Sizewell and Walberswick. late in the day best time. If the murmorations of starlings are over the reed beds and marshes you would be unlucky not to see any. They harriers. hawks and sometimes peregrines have a go at them before they get in to the reed beds and bushes. North wall  Minsmere, coastguard cottages Dunwich and Dingle marshes good spots to view some times at close quarters as they all loose a lot of caution when after starlings. Worth it just to watch the starlings.

Thought i saw an eagle locally earlier this week. Was at distance and big!  Bird life went mental calling departing or hiding and crows really mobbing it. Expected to see handler but watched till out of sight heading North. Have heard of no other sightings in Suffolk tho?  Also poss escaped Chilean buzzard about. Been told they are big. 

Local  male turtle dove  RSPB put tracker on earlier left over night 5th Sept travelled by night and since the 8th was in olive groves in southern Spain. After being tagged it had spent the Summer and probably bred on another local farm i shoot on. they had amazing year.

Lot of urban fox's being dumped locally again! Causing havoc and more work on farms. Amazed they keep doing it! Clueless and will not be told. Shame after such a good year for english partridges birds and hares locally! lot of spooky birds and hares about! 

Gangs with long dogs been driving the fields again to. 

Hummingbird hawk moths of different sizes on last of my budliea flowers on 23rd. Very late for them unless they are over wintering?

Actually noticed a few more pigeons about my way this week! Even a few on  stubble's. Been lean times and not expecting the coming months to be great  unless more turn up as don't think they have bred well locally for last few years.

  NB

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I was very fortunate to witness a spectacular occurrence one winter's morning on a ''Morning Flight years ago.

I was huddled down in one of my usual spots as Dawn was breaking and shortly after first light, lots of birds were on the move.I could see another Fowler not that far from myself. I was scanning the sky as is done, and was watching some plover coming my way an all of a sudden a really loud swishing noise broke the silence of the morning.The plover scattered and I could see a small hawk/falcon making off. He didn't actually make a kill. I spoke with the other Fowler after flight whom also witnessed it. I didn't know at the time what it was and it was too small for a Peregrine later researched and have no doubt it was a Merlin.

A few years after that a incident made the local paper,when a motorist who was driving through the slob lands stopped when he saw an injured bird by the side of the road. And it turned out to be a Merlin.

Edited by SuperGoose75
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A few years ago after morning flight on the Dyfi estuary, I was sat on the edge of a gully talking to my mate, when we witnessed a Merlin harrying the starlings, time and again, it flew through the pack and had the starlings scattering every whichway! I didn’t see it take one, we watched, as the whole performance moved away out of sight!.......on another occasion, during morning flight, whilst tucked into undergrowth at the base of the sea wall, I watched a Marsh Harrier hunting closer and closer towards me, intent on its hunt, it didn’t notice me and flew directly over me within 6ft of my head, on yet another occasion, I was again sitting on the edge of a gully talking to my two mates, when an Otter, which was searching the low water pools left by the receding tide, in the bottom of the gully, came within 8ft of us before it noticed us....and made a quick exit from whence it came!

Wildfowling ain’t just about shooting ducks and geese! 👍

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5 hours ago, panoma1 said:

A few years ago after morning flight on the Dyfi estuary, I was sat on the edge of a gully talking to my mate, when we witnessed a Merlin harrying the starlings, time and again, it flew through the pack and had the starlings scattering every whichway! I didn’t see it take one, we watched, as the whole performance moved away out of sight!.......on another occasion, during morning flight, whilst tucked into undergrowth at the base of the sea wall, I watched a Marsh Harrier hunting closer and closer towards me, intent on its hunt, it didn’t notice me and flew directly over me within 6ft of my head, on yet another occasion, I was again sitting on the edge of a gully talking to my two mates, when an Otter, which was searching the low water pools left by the receding tide, in the bottom of the gully, came within 8ft of us before it noticed us....and made a quick exit from whence it came!

Wildfowling ain’t just about shooting ducks and geese! 👍

5 hours ago, panoma1 said:

A few years ago after morning flight on the Dyfi estuary, I was sat on the edge of a gully talking to my mate, when we witnessed a Merlin harrying the starlings, time and again, it flew through the pack and had the starlings scattering every whichway! I didn’t see it take one, we watched, as the whole performance moved away out of sight!.......on another occasion, during morning flight, whilst tucked into undergrowth at the base of the 

Wildfowling ain’t just about shooting ducks and geese! 👍

So true this! Not everyone understands them sentiments though.

Like yourself I've had some wonderful close up experiences with birds of prey,animals ect!

I once sprained my neck whilst waiting in a hedgerow one morning waiting on geese. I was wearing a balaclava and a Sparrow hawk came diving straight for my face and I had to duck quickly and that's how I sprained my neck.

Another night whilst shooting under the moon, I watched a long eared owl hunting close by and it attacked something in the drainage dyke and broke the surface of the water and the ripples looked magic in the moonlight.

The same night a fox trotted past on top of the bank just yards away unaware of my presence. I've also had seals pop up beside the boat on early morning ventures on an ebbing tide.

I often see Peregrine falcons and had a good view of one on the 1st morning this season. 

I like the artwork of the Puntgunner in Payne Gallweys  book after the gunner had taken a shot and a Peregrine turned up over head. (Take one and welcome you splendid fellow) As it could be said we are hunting in company!

Yes sir!there is certainly more to Wildfowling than just shooting. 

 

Edited by SuperGoose75
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  • 2 weeks later...

Don't know if any of you have seen the stunning picture captured in Wicklow earliar this week. A Merlin believed to be fresh down from Iceland attacking a Kingisher. It showed a perfect shot of the Merlin hovering above the Kingfisher whom was struggling in the water.

The report said that some crows started to mob the Merlin and the kingfisher managed to escape to safety.

It was on an Irish birding sight on FB.

Edited by SuperGoose75
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