[TN-Bird] Priest Pake Merlins, and Brownie makes three

Percy Priest Lake, Davidson Co. TN
Anderson Rd. Recreation Area
Feb.23
.
Attempting to read more band numbers I went out and checked on the Merlins  
this afternoon. I didn't see the banded bird but I did get a look at a  third 
bird, another female type, brown streaking with dark brown back. 
At 4:26pm a bird flew in from the south and perched in the tall  cottonwood. 
Almost simultaneously a second bird came in from the  cedar thicket to the 
east, dove on the first, swooped low over the  water then up giving a cackling 
call and alighted on an  opposite branch of the same tree. It appeared to be 
slightly larger with  darker brown streaking and a darker brown back. I scoped 
these  two for several minutes and saw no bands.
.
The yellow legs were not banded but they were blood stained, evidence of  
feeding. Those sharp little talons were probably responsible for the Cedar  
Waxwing feathers I found down the trail. When I first arrived here last  week 
at 
3pm these thickets were full of Robins and Cedar Waxwings feeding on  Eastern 
Red Cedar berries. When I came back to the point at 4pm the Merlins were  in 
the 
area and other birds had cleared out.
.
I ran into nature photographer Josh Stone earlier, he'd been out a few  weeks 
ago seen his life Merlin and got photos. He commented that he'd heard  
Merlins in southern Canada were getting quite common and seemed to be  adapting 
to 
suburban areas.
.
Richard Connors
Nashville 
 

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