Agitated couple near nest. Habitat: field, mature mixed forest.

bird-seen:yes

playback-used:no

Alerted by persistent chickadee calls of Black-capped Chickadees, and began to record. Noticed one of the voices was higher than the chickadees, but could not see the Merlin yet. After recording stopped (my telephone rang which silenced the birds), I located the Merlin in a neighboring tree sitting quietly and alone, about 30 feet up. Poor light, because it was very cloudy - had been raining - and the tree cover was dense. No filtering or amplification. Both chickadee calls and the Merlin's calls are repetitive and nearly correspond in timing, except at 42 seconds, when the Merlin can be heard almost solo. Its louder note is at about 4 kHz, part of a 'Whinny,' with harmonics and a lower note at 2 kHz. Its call could be interpreted as aggressive, and the chickadees' as alarm notes.

bird-seen:yes

playback-used:no

Adult and juvenile calling shortly before the juv landed and began eating a House Sparrow. Exchange of food, if any, not witnessed.

bird-seen:yes

playback-used:no

spotted along beach, merlin perched way up high.

bird-seen:no

playback-used:no

In boreal forest. Two individuals and a Bald Eagle circling overhead. Didn't see them mobbing the eagle but they were rapidly circling just above the tree tops.

bird-seen:yes

playback-used:no

7th recording of long series of a nesting pair; shorter calls certainly came from adults; calls that sounded like begging calls came from a bird that was not seen well but could fly and was adult sized (it is late June; could be fledged begging young); this recording: includes some interactions, but I regret I really don't know who was doing what, or why

bird-seen:yes

playback-used:no

in the nest: female lands, gives feeding call;nestlings beg; behaviour following XC587987 Under licence

bird-seen:yes

playback-used:no

Overnight recording, blimp left near breeding pair