Merlins and Merlin Fodder (19-22Oct2016)

Hello Birders,

Some good local birding has been had the past few days.  If you are squeamish, you might want to navigate to some more tame blog about puppy dogs or something.

This poor Painted Bunting lives in constant fear of Merlins.

This Marbled Godwit is probably safe from Merlins, but Peregrines are happy to step in and pick up the Merlin slack.

Magnolia Warblers at Greenfield Lake fear Sharp-shinned Hawks.

Pileated Woodpecker at Greenfield.

You would think a Pileated tongue would not be so skinny but they are.

I have heard Preying Mantises can kill hummingbirds, but I would think this little species would have trouble with a hummingbird. Never the less, I flicked him off my feeder.

I took a ton of pictures of this hummingbird because it was pumping it's tail.  It also had quite a bit of coppery color on it's belly.

I know that Black-chinned hummingbirds pump their tails so I was very interested.

Any guesses?

Saturday after Soccer and a brunch at Jester's, I headed to Fort Fisher for a drive on the spit.  I lucked into several Merlins including two of the most photogenic Merlins I have ever seen.

Merlin with prey

Least Sandpiper quaking in his little yellow legs.

Western Sandpiper

Dunlin

Forster's Tern - easy ID with the fully framed eye patch.

Black-bellied Plover

Sanderling

American Avocet - we get these occasionally at Fort Fisher.  Much more common on the OBX.

So elegant

Another Merlin - look at those talons of death and destruction.

What an awesome day too.  70 degrees and crisp!  I have to admit though, a little jealous of all the folks on the OBX for Wings over Water.