Thank you Jimmie for the wonderful pictures. Sibley says that there is a lot of variation in these birds so it should be possible to identify the 3 merlin and confirm the identity of individuals. We now have good photos of one and a general idea of a probable another. Does anyone else have any photos which match or not match the characteristics shown here? In my observations of yesterday and Sunday, the ones I saw feeding had the very dark & heavy breast stripping. The tail had wide black stripes and very narrow white stripes. The one I saw yesterday had distinct, but narrow sideburns. I did not see these on the one I saw Sunday, but that day was overcast such that the lighting was poor. The photo of Jimmie, taken on that day showed the effect of the poor light by not bringing out the black the way it appeared to the naked eye. The sideburns also appeared subdued and brownish and would not have been visible as such on the bird I saw Sunday. The tail of each of the birds I saw feeding looked similar to these 2 photos I found on the internet. http://lnk.nu/hawkwatch.org/cgn.JPG http://lnk.nu/sfondideldesktop.com/cgo.Jpg The tail in Jimmie's photos does not show the much greater width of the black band as was seen in the other birds, but, in a view from a distance, the heavy black could very well overwhelm the thinner white bank. The fluffing of the feathers could also affect the appearance. I suggest that others seeing these birds, whether or not they can take photos, check out these 3 features: breast striping, tail banding, a cheek pattern. (Notice that in the photos I cited above and in Jimmie's photo (esp., the 1st one), the facial patterns have distinct differences in patterns.) I express these comments because of what I have seen and because I have not seen anything specific from other observers. I welcome any comments from those more experienced with merlins than I am whether they are supportive or critical. Richard Cressman Columbus OH ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]