A raptor surveys his domain overlooking a small, wild lake in the Madawaska Valley on Friday. © BCP 2010
Wild About The City was off on a jaunt to the Madawaska Valley recently and, on a solo paddle into a completely wild and undeveloped lake, found this raptor atop a snag right by the edge of the water. I paddled quietly and was able to get quite close to him, but he was very, very high up, so the photos I took ended up all being quite distant.
The entire time I watched this bird, he appeared to be concentrating on a spot in the lake — hunting for what?
At the time I was shooting, I thought the small size of this raptor meant it was a peregrine falcon, perhaps. But once back on shore, with my reference books at hand, I realized I was wrong. I’m now wondering if perhaps this bird is a youngish merlin.
If anyone has any ideas, I would appreciated hearing them. You can use the comment section below, or send me an email by clicking on the contact button in the menu at the top of my website.
Thanks to all in advance.
Friday, August 13 update: Two kind and knowledgeable folks have let me know that my unknown raptor is a merlin. Thanks for the help.
© BCP 2010
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