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.