[EBB Sightings] Merlin- Richmond View

Yesterday (Friday) afternoon I returned to the kitchen window to  
check out a small flock of Robins that were making foraging divots in  
our backyard tanbark (we'd always blamed the neighborhood cats for  
these!), when I was surprised to see none of the regular feeder  
birds, and only a single robin hunkered under the small bay tree.  I  
was guessing one of the neighborhood accipiters was around.  All was  
quiet for several minutes, with the exception of the robin that  
inched even closer to the bay trunk, obviously keeping its dark back  
to the outside world and its front covered up.  Finally, we saw a  
merlin wheel over the houses a block over, then turn and jet low over  
our yard.  This was a yard first for us, and definitely one the most  
exciting!

   Our house is between Arlington Ave and Wildcat Canyon Park, just  
north of the El Cerrito border.

Good birding, and happy holidays!

Alan
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Alan H. Krakauer, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Patricelli Lab

Section of Evolution and Ecology
University of California
One Shields Avenue
2320 Storer Hall
Davis, CA 95616
Office: 530-754-7837
Fax: 530-752-1449
ahkrakauer at ucdavis.edu
http://web.mac.com/ahkrakauer
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