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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Merlin playing with a Meadow Pipit (1 Viewer)

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.
 
wow, what a great outting that must have been. i'm amazed how fast time goes by when out birding. nature sure puts on some shows!
 
Hi devon birder

I've seen Merlins go after Meadow Pipits a few times here and I've never seen one catch one. I've only seen a Merlin catch a bird once, a Wheatear, which it ambushed by a fish drying rack.

However, I've seen Gyr Falcon trying to catch things many times but never yet seen the moment of success (although I've seen them afterwards with prey: Eider, Mallard, Redwing etc.). I remember seeing one last year "playing" with a Whimbrel. It got itself into position several times but just let the Whimbrel go each time. There was no last minute swerving from the Whimbrel, the Gyr Falcon just backed off and lost interest after about five attempts.

But do raptors really waste vital energy by "playing"? Perhaps young birds practising. The Gyr Falcon above was a juvenile seen in late August.

E
 
Hey I was there yesterday morning to early afternoon and missed you! Failed to find any Groppers or Yellow Wagtails. Plenty of Skylark and Wheatear though and one White Wagtail. Nothing at Kenwith either.

I learnt that I should be looking for Groppers at dusk!
 
What surprised me was that when the Merlin first started to swoop on the Pipit both birds were over Northam Burrows which is open land with plenty of bushes, brambles and clumps of rough grass yet the Pipit made no effort to dive for cover. Instead it headed out over the bay giving the Merlin ample chance to catch it. I know the Merlin has to eat but my wife and I were willing the Pipit to escape.
 
I have seen young Peregrines playing with gulls at Swanage, stooping down on them and even coming in straight before turning to slash at them with their talons. The gulls - one time a Lesser Black Back - looked very unconcerned and merely tilted their wings to get out of the way at the last minute, at is they´d seen it all before. I´m sure that as Edward suggests, far from wasting energy, practice in the numerous skills required to make a succesful kill is vital for young birds of prey.

As for Merlins, I was lucky enough to see one this winter shadowing a Hen Harrier in the fields opposite our farm here on the Ebro Delta, swooping at birds (probably mipits or crested larks) the Harrier flushed. On one occasion it made a kill, as did the Harrier minutes later.
 
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