Merlin chasing a Spotted Sandpiper while watching a Pectoral Sandpiper

[Eric Ellingson]

I'm not sure why I don't bird my own 'back yard', Stinky Corner -Birch Bay, enough.

Maybe part of it is the tide levels seem to be either way too far out or up too high.

Anyway, I seemed to have recently timed it just right, about a 10.5' tide.

At this tide level, there is not many areas for shorebirds to continue feeding except where the Birch Bay drainage ditch empties into the bay it stays a bit muddier longer.

I had a first for Whatcom and only my second viewing of a Pectoral Sandpiper at this corner of the bay.  Other birds were Semipalmated Plover, Least sandpiper, Western Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs, Cooper's Hawk, and a Merlin among others.

I'd seen the Spotted Sandpiper a bit earlier in the drainage ditch. The tide was up quite a bit when the Spotted Sandpiper came flying into view, stopped quickly in the water, and then briefly disappeared. It then rapidly came up and took off with a Merlin on its tail. Wow, they are fast. An unsuccessful try for the Merlin but it was sure fun to watch. The Merlin made many attempts at other shorebirds it had scared up but did not appear to get dinner.

Here are some photos of the event.

Link to my online photo album here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ericellingson/

Recent: Ancient Murrelet & Tufted Puffin with a beakful (Smith Island), White-tailed Ptarmigan with chicks (Table Montain), Pied-billed Grebe with chicks (Winthrop), Mt goats (Winthrop area - Harts Pass)

Eric Ellingson

[Martha Dyck]

Wow, thank you, those are some beautiful shots.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Whatcom Birds" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to whatcom-bird...@northcascadesaudubon.org.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/a/northcascadesaudubon.org/d/msgid/whatcom-birds/1ce06e3a-fa97-4236-a2dc-22fc1f0f7fd7n%40northcascadesaudubon.org.

[Barry Ulman]

Great shots of the Merlin. They are hard to photograph in flight; they fly low and FAST.

Speaking of which — There was a family of Merlins a block away from my house in the York District. The young have all fledged, and I think they have left the area.

Barry Ulman

On Aug 12, 2022, at 9:20 AM, Eric Ellingson <esell...@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm not sure why I don't bird my own 'back yard', Stinky Corner -Birch Bay, enough.

Maybe part of it is the tide levels seem to be either way too far out or up too high.

Anyway, I seemed to have recently timed it just right, about a 10.5' tide.

At this tide level, there is not many areas for shorebirds to continue feeding except where the Birch Bay drainage ditch empties into the bay it stays a bit muddier longer.

I had a first for Whatcom and only my second viewing of a Pectoral Sandpiper at this corner of the bay.  Other birds were Semipalmated Plover, Least sandpiper, Western Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs, Cooper's Hawk, and a Merlin among others.

I'd seen the Spotted Sandpiper a bit earlier in the drainage ditch. The tide was up quite a bit when the Spotted Sandpiper came flying into view, stopped quickly in the water, and then briefly disappeared. It then rapidly came up and took off with a Merlin on its tail. Wow, they are fast. An unsuccessful try for the Merlin but it was sure fun to watch. The Merlin made many attempts at other shorebirds it had scared up but did not appear to get dinner.

Here are some photos of the event.

<_L9A3442-CR3_DxO_DeepPRIME.jpg><_L9A3499-CR3_DxO_DeepPRIME.jpg><_L9A3523-CR3_DxO_DeepPRIME.jpg><_L9A3549-CR3_DxO_DeepPRIME.jpg><_L9A3555-CR3_DxO_DeepPRIME.jpg>

Link to my online photo album here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ericellingson/

Recent: Ancient Murrelet & Tufted Puffin with a beakful (Smith Island), White-tailed Ptarmigan with chicks (Table Montain), Pied-billed Grebe with chicks (Winthrop), Mt goats (Winthrop area - Harts Pass)

Eric Ellingson

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Whatcom Birds" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to whatcom-bird...@northcascadesaudubon.org.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/a/northcascadesaudubon.org/d/msgid/whatcom-birds/1ce06e3a-fa97-4236-a2dc-22fc1f0f7fd7n%40northcascadesaudubon.org.

<_L9A3523-CR3_DxO_DeepPRIME.jpg><_L9A3499-CR3_DxO_DeepPRIME.jpg><_L9A3555-CR3_DxO_DeepPRIME.jpg><_L9A3442-CR3_DxO_DeepPRIME.jpg><_L9A3549-CR3_DxO_DeepPRIME.jpg>