Birbs of Saskatchetoon - Merlin

On the 15th of January, Amanda was doing an online yoga thingie, so I took Keiran to their tap class. Usually the two WALK there and Amanda just waits in the building. I had no interest in walking, or just sitting and waiting around for that matter. So I hauled Keiran there on the back of the Surly Big Fat Dummy, dropped them off and then went for a little ride. 

I thought I'd roll over to Montgomery - an adjacent neighbourhood with lots of trees that I thought might be good for finding birbs.

Halfway there, I saw a large bird circling over the neighbourhood, but couldn't tell what it was - Raven? HAWK? 

I lost sight of it before I got there, so I tooled around the neighbourhood. Saw LOTS of Chickadees. then I spotted a HUGE flock of... something swirling around off to the West, so I rode that was to see if I could get a bit closer and figure out what they were! 

They finally alighted in a large tree in someones backyard. 

I was a little anxious about taking pictures and having the owners of the house look out and wonder; "why is there some weirdo in the street taking pictures of our house!?". I'm still not sure what they were. Maybe some kind of Waxwing? 

Ifyou look close, a bit lower in the tree you can see a MUCH BIGGER BIRD as well... not sure what it was either (not the Merlin!) Hawk? Raven? 

If I was SMART, I'd probably do something like carry binoculars and maybe read up on some of the birds that do overwinter here that I DON'T know how to easily identify. 

Anyway, after staring at this scene a little too long and taking far to many pictures - all of which were equally useless for identifying any of the birds in this tree, I decided I best head back and pick up Keiran... 

Half a block back towards where I'd entered the neighbourhood, I spotted this... 

Can you see them? I knew who THIS was pretty much as soon as I spotted it... 

Not super clear... but it's a Merlin. 

I took a PILE of pictures with my phone... but didn't get any that were any better than this... I've seen lots of them around - mostly in the summer. For a few summers we even had a pair living in our neighbours tree. 

So... drawings/paintings... 

Merlin in the Birbs of Saskatchetoon Sketchbook

Merlin Looking This Way - 20cmx20xm (8'x8"), Ink on Watercolour Paper 

Merlin Looking That Way - 20cmx20xm (8'x8"), Ink on Watercolour Paper 

I'm never sure whether to call these "drawings" or "paintings"... my gut feeling is that they are "drawings" that have been coloured with acrylic ink (or sometimes watercolours). but in both cases, that colour is applied with a BRUSH using painting techniques... 

Here are a few other pics I've taken of Merlins...

In our neighbours tree! 

This was one of the Merlins nesting in our neighbours tree for a few summers. I don't think they were there this past summer... but there's always a pair somewhere in the neighbourhood! 

I think this one was in a tree down by the river along the Meewasin Trail.