I witnessed a recent Merlin/Northern Shrike interaction at Glendalough State Park (in central Otter Tail County) that might interest others.
I first heard a couple of unearthly-sounding vocalizations, including a distinct "ripping" sound. Freezing, I looked around. Nothing. I waited. Then out of the corner of my eye, I caught the plummet of a small raptor as it plunged in a straight, vertical nose dive into some nearby brush. A moment later, up popped a Merlin carrying prey. A flash of white/black and the size, suggested that the prey was perhaps a chickadee or nuthatch. The Merlin flew to a tree and started to pluck the prey. Then, there was another blast of those random, strange sounds I had heard earlier, and in flew a Northern Shrike, landing in the tree a couple of yards above the Merlin's perch. The Shrike then broke into a furious bout of bill-clacking and even took an apparent semi-swoop in the Merlin's direction. The bill clacking continued. The Merlin stopped plucking prey, stared in the Shrike's direction, and finally seemed to grow tired of the racket, grabbed its prey and rocketed into the woods. It was what our friend Jeff Schultz calls a "Wild Kingdom Moment." Truly cool! --Dan -- Dan & Sandy Thimgan Otter Tail County Battle Lake MN
