View allAll Photos Tagged Merlin
Merlin (Falco columbarius) dries its' feathers in the rays of the sunrise after an unsuccessful attack on a flock of Sanderlings.
Roseway Beach, Nova Scotia.
Montérégie, Québec.
Merlin looking out over his territory.
Faucon émerillon qui surveille son territoire.
Merlin De-feathering And Prepping Dinner
Merlin - Falco columbarius
Vehicle Used As Blind
California, USA
My Merlin stopped by today, no doubt looking for a meal. It sat on its favorite perch in the top of the aspens and quickly attracted a mob of blue jays trying to drive it away. I won the shutter lottery with this shot, I could see the jay flash by in the frame and was lucky to capture it in the frame and the look on the Merlin's eye is priceless.
The female Merlin likes to stay at the tree on top of the hill. She would sometimes stay lower at the perch so I can shoot with some background. This is a shot when she just landed with the feather being streamlining and body skinnier.
Coyote Hills Regional Park, Fremont California
Explored# 69 on 2022/10/02?
www.flickr.com/explore/2022/10/02
Coyote Hills Regional Park, Fremont, CA
Merlins are not large, but they are ferocious predators, even taking birds heavier than themselves such as Rock Pigeons. Nesting Merlins practise “tag-team” hunting, where one of the pair will often startle prey toward its partner. The distribution of this species is across the Northern Hemisphere.
Common Name: Merlin
Scientific Name: Falco columbarius
Location: Avian Reconditioning Center, Apopka, Florida
Name: Sarka
This portrait of Sarka, a Merlin (Falco columbarius), was taken at the Avian Reconditioning Center in Apopka, Florida. The photo is a study in the bird's innate intensity, capturing the nuance of its feather patterns and the penetrating gaze that makes the Merlin a formidable bird of prey. The ambient light plays softly across the feathers, lending depth and texture, while the background is subdued to keep the focus sharply on Sarka.
As a photographer, what intrigues me most is how this image commands the viewer's attention straight to the bird's eyes. It's not just a snapshot but an intimate engagement with a species that embodies the untamed spirit of the natural world. This photo provides not just a visual experience but an emotional connection to the subject, emphasizing why conservation of these magnificent creatures is so crucial.
©2020 Adam Rainoff
Male.
A good day for raptors on the levels, with Ring-tail Hen harrier, Short-eared owl, Kestrel, Buzzard, Peregrine and Merlin seen... (Not all by me, as I missed the Hen, twice. doh)...
Hammonasset Beach State Park, Madison, Connecticut
From my archive, which I have plenty of time to examine these days as I recover from rotator cuff surgery. Hence, no new photo from me since November 16, and no new ones anticipated till possibly the end of February.
I posted a rather distant photo of a male Merlin recently www.flickr.com/photos/timmelling/51994900253/in/dateposted/ but this is a cropped version of the same bird. I see Merlins in flight over the Peak District moors fairly regularly, and see birds perched at a distance, but this was my first view of a close perched male. Merlins are Britain's smallest birds of prey and males are noticeably smaller than females (180g v 230g). They usually fly fast and low over the moors where they nest, doggedly chasing small birds following every twist and turn of their prey. Merlins are falcons and DNA studies have showed that falcons are not related to other birds of prey such as hawks, buzzards, harriers and eagles. Their closest relatives are actually parrots and the small bill on this bird does give it a slight resemblance to Budgerigar.
Merlin hunting dragonflies in Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area (Réserve nationale de faune du cap Tourmente)
The thrill and excitement of seeing and photographing Merlin never changes ....they are shy , elusive and scarce so to even see this stunning bird of prey makes all the hours and miles worth it ..every time I get so excited
Today was a very mixed forecast and at times the weather was awful but I always think that if I am out there when the rain and wind stops for a while then that is when the birds will appear .....today that proved to be correct, but you can see from the image it was still raining a little .
This little beauty was seen several times at RSPB Greylake, but never close. The shot was taken with a very long lens and in poor light, so it had to be carefully processed to get this result.
Another Merlin, much closer in a tree than the last one I posted a couple of weeks ago. It was also closer in travel time - same county, not the next one over. 😉
Fly-by in poor light. A bit noisy, but it's my first Merlin flight capture, so thought I would post it..