Shortly after noon today, we had the sighting of a kettle of Merlins (Falco columbarius) with an aggregate of 50+ birds in the swarm.  The group was  first seen "milling around" at treetop height over extensive harvested agricultural fields on Old State Road about 3 miles east of North Fairfield and north of SR162 in Huron County.
About 10 minutes later, the entire flight moved en masse to the southeast where it had ascended to a point where it was almost out of sight. There was nothing to indicate that the swarm had been "spooked" from its initial location [even tho Halloween is fast approaching].
Dean Sheldon, jr.
Greenwich

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