devon.birder
Well-known member
Whilst sitting in my car at The Skern this afternoon waiting for the tide to come in I noticed a Merlin sat on the salt marsh. Suddenly it took off in pursuit of a Meadow Pipit. I jumped out of the car and for the next five minutes or so I watched the Merlin swoop on the Pipit 37 times as the Pipit flew across the bay. Each time the Merlin swooped the Pipit just seemed to swerve out of the way and it seemed to me that the Merlin was playing with it. Finally the Pipit made it across the bay and I lost both birds over the fields on the opposite side. About 20 minutes later the Merlin was back sitting on the salt marsh.