Yesterday evening (Thursday 25 March) I heard (several times) and saw (once) a Merlin calling and flying near my yard. It may have been in one or more of several mature conifers near the very bottom of Cliff Street in Ithaca. When I finally saw it, it was flying in a big clockwise arc around those trees then straightened and flew NW climbing over Hector Street. My guess is it was talking to an unseen partner about potential nest sites. I don’t know what the selection is of old or new crow nests in those trees.
- - Dave Nutter > On Mar 25, 2021, at 11:19 PM, anneb.cl...@gmail.com wrote: > > Interesting. They have more 2020 crow nests to rent in the Birchwood area > than near that sycamore. But it will be interesting to see if one pair is > searching the whole area. The nest used last year was either a recently > depredated American crow nest or a takeover, the reason for the crow nest > failure. > Anne > > Sent from my iPhone > >> On Mar 25, 2021, at 6:41 PM, Kenneth V. Rosenberg <k...@cornell.edu> wrote: >> >> Hi John >> >> At least one Merlin has returned to the Northeast Ithaca neighborhood. I >> say “at least” one because there is a male perching regularly on the large >> sycamore at the north end of Muriel St. (and calling in that area) and one >> seen regularly (by Brad) flying around and calling on Birchwood Dr. I live >> about halfway between these areas on Tareyton and also see/hear one >> regularly flying over— so we don’t know if this represents 1 or 2 birds. >> >> Interestingly there was a pair of Merlins (one noticeably larger) perched >> and calling in the Muriel sycamore on a warm day in February— so they may >> have been winteri g locally. >> >> KEN >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >>> On Mar 25, 2021, at 6:18 PM, Karen <confergoldw...@aol.com> wrote: >>> >>> >>> I love Merlins and Merlin reports and people who send in Merlin reports. I >>> check them all out. . Thanks to such reports, I have observed an increasing >>> number of incubated nests in Tompkins County as follows: 2 (2014), 6 >>> (2015), 6 (2016), 5 (2017), 3 (2018), 6 (2019), 9 (2020). These include >>> pairs in Trumansburg, Lansing, Dryden, Freeville, Etna, and Ithaca (plus >>> hints of a pair in Groton). Local observers provided guidance to almost all >>> of these. I have written one paper on this, and am trying to write a more >>> complete paper including habitat choice. Interestingly, all nests have been >>> in urban/suburban areas. None in forests nor edge of forest nor edge of >>> lake. >>> >>> Merlins start egg-laying in early May. Observations in late March are >>> helpful by providing a hint about where they may finally nest. For >>> instance, the pair observed by so many at Myer's Pint never nested there. >>> Weeks after being seen at Myer's Point, there was a pair about 800 m east >>> closer to the Catholic church. >>> >>> I would love to have individuals provide me with their observations at >>> confergoldw...@aol.com >>> >>> Thanks, >>> >>> John >>> -- >>> Cayugabirds-L List Info: >>> Welcome and Basics >>> Rules and Information >>> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >>> Archives: >>> The Mail Archive >>> Surfbirds >>> BirdingOnThe.Net >>> Please submit your observations to eBird! >>> -- >> >> -- >> Cayugabirds-L List Info: >> Welcome and Basics >> Rules and Information >> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >> Archives: >> The Mail Archive >> Surfbirds >> BirdingOnThe.Net >> Please submit your observations to eBird! >> -- > > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
