A watchful eye

Yesterday I was attempting to keep an eye on the baby flicker, but when I went to check on him later he was in the alley close to a lilac bush.

I was precariously standing on the ruble pile looking over the fence to get this shot. People voices emanating from the yard behind the flicker sent it scurrying across the alley. I wandered out to see where he disappeared to and hearing a flutter I spotted it in an open garage where it hid for a short while.

Yes, I feel a bit like a peeping Thomasina peering into other folks garages.

But the shot was a Sweet Deal I could not pass up on. 

A secret garden.

Looking up I see a male Merlin scanning for a meal. The baby Flicker is now hiding right under the Lilac brush which is about thirty feet away from this evergreen tree, so I say a small prayer that the Flicker will stay hid till the Merlin leaves. I know the Merlin is most likely looking for a meal for its own young but I didn't want it  to be my sweet little baby flicker.

Male Merlin

For the last few weeks the male Merlin has been flying the neighborhood looking for its mate. I love hearing his trill as he flies overhead. He usually shows up earlier than the female, I hope to see her soon. They have a nest that they return to each year down the street in a big evergreen. Last year I was lucky to be able to watch the three fledglings get their flight wings, they kept landing on rooftops, I guess they found it a more stable perch than tree branches. It was fun watching them teeter and work on balance when they did land in trees; with the wind blowing they were pretty unstable to begin with, reminded me of the three stooges stage act.