[Tweeters] Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR

[Michael Price]

Hi tweets,

Shep Thorpe writes: We had nice looks of a MERLIN
unsuccessfully chasing swallows.

Maybe not unsuccessful. One time in September, Mike Force and I were at
Jericho Park on the west side of Vancouver BC's West side. There was a tall
long-dead cottonwood snag on its south side containing a Merlin and an
American Kestrel. For the next half-hour several times we witnessed these
two suddenly start chasing each other. First, Merlin  chasing Kestrel,
return to the snag, rest, then Kestrel chased Merlin, return to snag, rest,
a few minutes, rinse and repeat, the two of them alternating the
chaser/chased roles at least three times. Tell me that's not play.

Jericho is longer east-west than wide north-south, about a kilometer and a
half long. An unwitting Cliff Swallow (remember Cliff Swallows?) entered
the park at the eastern end. The Merlin immediately rocketed off to
intercept it. People, we then witnessed that Merlin literally toying with
the terrified swallow *the entire length *of Jericho Park before *allowing
it to go its way and returning to the snag.* At any moment that swallow's
life was forfeit to the the little falcon: it could have easily slain the
swallow at any point. I've seen that. But it *didn't*. Tell me that's not
play.

Many years later, I watched a Merlin and two crows similarly taking
alternating turns chasing, with at least *four* iterations. Both parties
could have left at any point, but didn't. Tell me that's not play.

So, Shep, it may be less a case of an incompetent Merlin than one of a
Merlin simply mucking about ('mookin abaht', as me old Lancashire gaffer
would have said) in its just-screwing-around rough humor.

best, m
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