Merlin (the falcon, not the wizard) spotted at Shell Beach

According to the Cornell Ornithology Lab, the bird pictured above is a merlin, “small, fierce falcons that use surprise attacks to bring down small songbirds and shorebirds.

“They are powerful fliers, but you can tell them from larger falcons by their rapid wingbeats and overall dark tones.

“Medieval falconers called them ‘lady hawks,’ and noblewomen used them to hunt Sky Larks. Merlin populations have largely recovered from twentieth-century declines, thanks to a ban on the pesticide DDT and their ability to adapt to life around towns and cities.”

Jim Colligan, who spotted the falcon above hunting at Shell Beach, wrote to us: ” There have been several sightings of merlins on Shell Beach this fall. It remains a good hunting place for them. They  can usually be seen perched near the tops of small trees on the east end of the beach.”