Taiga Merlin

Habitat:

Alkaline lake surrounded by grassland

Notes:

I often see birds engage in ordinary activities. Not so with this falcon! It was hunting a phalarope in the lake below. I was thrilled to see both birds in action. (The phalarope survived another day!) The merlin would stoop for the bird at high speeds and then chase it over the water. When it lost sight of the prey, it would fly up into the air and hover for a few moments to relocate it. Eventually, it just gave up and flew to a nearby stand of trees. I have never seen such a swift bird...And hats off to the phalarope for evading such a fierce predator!