Those of you who read my account of the Castlegar hawk watch may have assumed that all raptors left the area in the fall. No, I was describing raptors from the north of here that flew over our area.
Yet, some raptors have left the area. I probably saw my last Osprey this morning, and Turkey Vultures are gone. Some, however, stay year round. Two of those are the Bald Eagle and the Merlin—both of which I saw yesterday. The pictures below are of a Merlin seen in Kokanee Creek Park.
A Merlin is a falcon which feasts on small birds. It perches on snags, such as the one below, and when it spots a delectable, swoops down and takes it.
