If you are interested in some pictures of the Kestrel at Chagrin River Park
check-out this link http://adamvalencic.com/uploads/10262008/ to some
pictures my son took there yesterday, October 26.

Regarding the Snow Buntings at Headlands Beach (reported a few days ago) he
took some nice pictures on Saturday, both in-flight and on the ground
http://adamvalencic.com/uploads/10252008/.  A most interesting thing for me
was to watch the buntings flying close together like a flock of 'peeps'
along the waterline! They would pick-up and fly farther down the beach when
we got too close.  Before Saturday my only experience was to see them in
plowed fields in the winter mixed with Horned Larks and Longspur's.

Matt Valencic
Chagrin Falls, OH

-----Original Message-----
From: Ohio birds [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Blake
Andrews
Sent: Monday, October 27, 2008 11:34 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [Ohio-birds] American Kestrels and Merlins-Northeast Ohio

We observed an American Kestrel at the Chagrin River Reservation in
Willoughby (Lake County) on October 24 and 25.  It uses the power tower
closest to the river as its perch while searching for food.  We watched as
it fluttered in a suspended flight pattern above the ground looking for
food, it would dive and soar back up in the air.  Also lots of bluebirds
and yellow rumps in this location too.

Also, we spotted the Merlins high in flight over Calvary Cemetery on
October 26.  My grandparents are buried there and we took a trip out there
to clean their grave and hopefully find the Merlins.  We spotted one of the
Merlins in Section 5.  There was a red tailed hawk flying above too and the
Merlin took a jab at the hawk and then took off flying at a very high rate
of speed.  Our final observation was two Merlins flying side by side
together out over the residential area.

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______________________________________________________________________

Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.

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