Falcons and other raptors strike their prey from above with all four toes extended.
The Birders Handbook, Ehrlich, Dobkin, Wheye, 1988
Merlin photo by Alison Pakulak
It happened so quickly …
a merlin – quiet, fast; deadly
swooped through the trees
scattering the group of birds feasting on laurel berries.
They had no warning …
seemingly no chance to get away –
but yet they did –
this time.
A basket of flowers, a trio of birders and some rusty nails on the Eastlake Trail – photos by Wendy Snyder
Stats:
Date: Saturday, Aug. 22, 2015
Time: 9:30 am – 11:45
Temp: 14 degrees – sunny & clear
Birders: 5
Trail: Eastlake along Stoney Creek in Burnaby
Species seen: 16
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Bird Tip:
Northern flickers, cedar waxwings, towhees, grosbeaks, thrushes, chickadees and Steller’s jays (to name a few!) all love feasting on fruit and berries.
To attract them to your yard, or townhouse complex, plant one of more of the following:
Virginia creeper vine
Honeysuckle vine
Snowberry
Oregon grape
Elderberry
Viburnums (may need 2 varieties to get fruit)
and the list goes on!