ML82423191
Contributor
Date
Location
- Age
- Not specified
- Sex
- Not specified
Observation details
First seen at 1301 very soon after the SSHA flew out of sight.The MERL flew in from ca east and landed in the top of a spruce near Winne and Cooke. Stayed until 1304 when if flew south and landed in the top of a spruce near Cooke and Highland after trying for an ECDO. Within less than a minute, it flew towards a spruce near me where I heard "cheep" calls from a HOFI - I also saw a second small raptor go after it, very likely the SSHA. the MERL missed, circled, and landed in a spruce on the east side of Cooke. At 1307 if flew west and landed in the top of a spruce ca 60-80 m west of Cooke. It remained perched there until 1312, when if flew back to the top of the spruce very near the corner of Cooke and Highland (also its second perch while I observed it). Soon a single BBMA joined it and harassed it, perching nearby and several times fluttering right above it within a meter or two. At 1313, a HOFI which had been apparently hiding in the same spruce flushed with sweet "cheep" calls and flew east - the MERL immediately took off in pursuit and was closing in when I lost sight of them both behind a spruce. Above: Path of the MERL and suspected path of the SSHA during this observation period, with observed perches numbered consecutively. Map drawn in the field; key and color-coding added later. Estimate of 200 meters from Highland to Winne was surprisingly accurate.
Technical information
- Model
- COOLPIX P900
- ISO
- 200
- Focal length
- 571.2 mm
- Flash
- Flash did not fire, auto
- f-stop
- f/6.5
- Shutter speed
- 1/500 sec
- Dimensions
- 4608 pixels x 3456 pixels
- Original file size
- 3.86 MB