This morning, the huge dead elm that is a playground for all the hawks in my yard, attracted a merlin. (Second time I've seen one here...the first was last December. Remember this yard!) I've never had an opportunity to watch a merlin so closely. For twenty minutes it chased, or was chased, by eight blue jays and two coopers hawks. It was a rare opportunity to compare the differences in their flight. What an acrobatic flight! Fast, agile, diving, aggressive. Eventually, the whole group flew off, the one remaining coopers trailing the merlin, and the jays an accompanying choir. After that, I guess I can just go to work and be content for the day. Inga Schmidt Chagrin River Road, Geauga/Cuy Co line ______________________________________________________________________ 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/. 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]