I probably shouldn’t be too confidant that the Merlin was a pure Taiga Merlin.
I am not ruling out Black Merlin completely, or it being a mix.
On Jun 21, 2020, at 5:53 PM, Jeff Gilligan <jeffgilligan10@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Young Costa Rican/American Steven Rogers and I did some birding today on
Sauvie’s Island, and at Killin Wetland.
The big surprise for me was an adult Tiaga Merlin that was pursued by Barn
Swallows as it flew toward the forested hills northwest of the wetlands. I
have only once previously seen a Merlin in summer in Oregon, that being a
Prairie Merlin in Grant County about 40 years ago. Since Merlins are
increasingly a summer resident in NW Washington State, I have to speculate
that the one we saw is a nesting bird.
Other birds:
Wapato Lake (Sauvie’s Island):
11 Great egrets (only one with aigrets)
1 Hooded Merganser
Family of Pied-billed Grebes
2 Gadwalls
Several Cinnamon Teal
1 Sora
Ospreys on nests along the road
Killin Wetlands:
1 American Bitter
5 Great Egrets
Several Cinnamon Teal
1 Hooded Merganser
several Wood Ducks
1 Sora
1 Virginia Rail - providing a very nice view
Jeff Gilligan
