I have had a Merlin hanging around my backyard in Columbus today (Dec. 27). I know they have periodically been reported in this general area (Grandview/quarries) both this year and last year, but I have always missed it (them) when I've gone looking. It has been a few years since I have seen one here. I hope I see it again, but I think if you're looking for one for a January list or whatever, your best bet around Columbus would be one of the more reliable birds at Greenlawn or Deer Creek. I wonder how many Merlins are actually in Ohio now? Certainly a lot more than 10 or 15 years ago. Bob Royse Robert Royse [log in to unmask] www.roysephotos.com __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 4720 (20091227) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com ______________________________________________________________________ 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]