Interesting Neighbors

photo courtesy of Dennis Swayze

As of late I’ve noticed that a pair of Merlin’s are expressing great interest in a pine tree close to me and doing all the right things. Not being nest builders they tend to use abandoned Crow’s nest from the previous year.
Females are dark brown and larger than the gray-blue males and about half the size of a Peregrine.
The prolonged kee,kee,kee,kee calling is unmistakable…some may find the sounds annoying along with the fact that their main diet consists of small birds.
Hopefully they won’t be chased off by Crows as I’m looking forward to the possibility they may nest.
Time will tell.