[cayugabirds-l] Merlin nests
One persistent pair of Merlins! One of the nests I am monitoring is likely by a pair that successfully raised 5 young last year in a nest about 400 m from the current nest. The current nest is in the back yard of a family with three, young kids. Two days ago, I walked up to check on the nest and found that the land owners were gone. However, a new raised swimming pool had been installed about 15 m from the base of the nest tree and a tree frequently used by the pair was cut down, which provided more sunlight for the pool. I was sure that the birds would have abandon the nest. But, there they were. The male called as he brought in food and the female responded. Amazing. So far, four of the five nests I am monitoring this year are still active. Young should be hatching about this week. Previously most failures of a nest occurred by this stage in the nesting cycle. So, I am hopeful for a better year this year than the last two years. As eggs hatch and nestlings become noisy and demand frequent feeding, the adults become conspicuous. I don't know if any nest has nestlings yet because I don't get to every nest every day, but there will be young soon. By the way, if anyone finds a Merlin nest location, I would love to know about it off cayugabirds at con...@ithaca.edu, thanks. Kak, Kak, Kak, Kak, John -- 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/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] Merlin nests including Wells C.
While biking home this evening around 8pm, I heard what I'm pretty sure was a Merlin calling from a deciduous tree behind 210 Park Place. Without binoculars I never sighted the bird. It was calling very continuously, with a few breaks in between and some "chink" calls reminiscent of grosbeak. There are a couple of evergreens nearby that could be candidate nest sites. Suan _ http://suan-yong.com > On May 25, 2016, at 8:41 PM, John Confer wrote: > > It is a ittle premature to count my eggs before they hatch, but ... . > > > Last year at this time 2 of seven Merlin nests in our area had failed, > probably predation. > > > This year 5 of 5 are still going strong, including the easily accessed nest > in the top of a white Pine on South Titus St. behind Meadow Court Lodge. This > can be watched from your car without disturbing the pair, which are already > exposed to lots of human activity. The first eggs of any nest will probably > hatch in a little more than a week. > > > I found the Wells College nest thanks to someone who said they had heard a > Merlin on campus, which was passed on to me, which inspired me to spend a > pleasant half hour walking around the campus. It is about an hour drive one > way for me, which is a little hard for monitoring survival a couple times a > week, or better even monitoring prey brought to the nest. > > > I am trying to determine Merlin nesting success in urban areas near Ithaca, > and the prey species brought to the nest. Anyone interested in monitoring > that nest? > > > Ki KI KI KI > > > John Confer 274-3978 > > > > -- > 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/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Merlin nests including Wells C.
It is a ittle premature to count my eggs before they hatch, but ... . Last year at this time 2 of seven Merlin nests in our area had failed, probably predation. This year 5 of 5 are still going strong, including the easily accessed nest in the top of a white Pine on South Titus St. behind Meadow Court Lodge. This can be watched from your car without disturbing the pair, which are already exposed to lots of human activity. The first eggs of any nest will probably hatch in a little more than a week. I found the Wells College nest thanks to someone who said they had heard a Merlin on campus, which was passed on to me, which inspired me to spend a pleasant half hour walking around the campus. It is about an hour drive one way for me, which is a little hard for monitoring survival a couple times a week, or better even monitoring prey brought to the nest. I am trying to determine Merlin nesting success in urban areas near Ithaca, and the prey species brought to the nest. Anyone interested in monitoring that nest? Ki KI KI KI John Confer 274-3978 -- 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/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Merlin nests
I am again this year trying to monitor nest location, nesting success, and prey brought to nests by Merlin. Last year thanks to the help of many on the listserve, I, Mark Witmer, Madeline Ulinski, Ann Herzig, and Sam Ayers reported on 7 regional nests in the article "NESTING MERLINS (Falco columbarius) IN AND NEAR ITHACA, NEW YORK, 2015" in the September issue of The Kingbird. Our sample of 7 nests was interesting to find for the Ithaca area, but is not statistically very meaningful. So far this year, with help from several people, particularly the crow people, I have located five nests or nesting areas. As of this morning, I watched three females sitting near a nest and occasionally flying up to the probable nest, but not sitting on the nest for a prolonged time. The male and female drive other birds and squirrels away, perhaps because the female has laid an incomplete clutch and they are trying to protect the eggs prior to incubation. I am reluctant to share these nest locations until the female starts prolonged sitting on the nest, indicative of a complete clutch and a high probability of staying on the nest, which greatly decreases the probability of abandoning the nest area. When incubation starts, I will be glad to share these locations of the nests of these attractive and photogenic birds then. Last year, the earliest known incubation was on 4 May. The tally of five nests includes a report of Merlin on Wells College campus, as last year. I don't have time to get up there to monitor that nest. Any takers? In the mean time, I am trying to add to that small sample again this year. Any reports of the location of nesting behavior by Merlins would be appreciated. Kee kee kee kee kee John Confer -- 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/ --
