I’m not trying to outdo Jonathan’s new yard bird, but at Esther Simplot
today I found 3 Merlins within a stretch of 50 to 75 yards of river. I had
not seen a Merlin there in a while, but they have over-wintered in that
general vicinity for several years. So I was quite pleased when I found the
first, surprised when I saw the second and amazed when I saw the third. They
were each perched on a branch overhanging the river, and they seemed
unperturbed by the serious destruction/construction that was going on
nearby.

Another hundred yards or so up the river, I found an American Kestrel, which
was surprising since the two types of falcon don’t seem to get along that
well. I then found another AMKE in the park itself. From my vantage point I
could see both at the same time. I also encountered a female AMKE across
Whitewater Blvd., but it might have been one of the ones I’d already seen.

My impression is that the weather brought in a bunch of birds, since I saw
multiple Hooded Mergansers in multiple places, plus my first male Common
Merganser, and Ruby-crowned Kinglets seemed to be everywhere.

Tom McCabe, Boise