#merlinbird

Merlin’s are native to my area but I’ve never known what they were called until they popped up on my Pinterest

Female merlin on her nest in the Yorkshire moors, from Country Life vol. 16, published in 1904. It talks about the merlin as a ladies' bird for lark hunting (and apparently a common gift for ladies, too), and then goes on to a refrain that sadly is the same tune we're singing today: "The merlin, unfortunately, has excited the hostility of moorland keepers, and on the walls of his outhouse, which is the Golgotha of mountain birds, the merlins hang beside stoats, weasels, hoodie crows, and even rooks. No doubt many of the men are much more liberal in their sentiments than used to be the case, but we are afraid that with the great majority the rule is still to shoot a bird of prey at sight. In no other way can we account for the rapid diminution of numbers of those beautiful and interesting creatures. The policy is a bad one, at any rate." Apparently the merlins then were shot because gamekeepers thought the birds were killing their game birds, namely grouse and partridge, but the magazine in its interview of area naturalist and photographer T.A. Metcalfe notes that Metcalfe had never found the remains of either bird in any merlin's nest, anyway. "Undoubtedly," the author goes on to say, "the indiscriminate slaughter of birds of prey is extremely bad in the end for game-preserves and grouse-moors. Falcons and hawks are Nature's policemen, and keep down many pests that, if allowed to multiply, would be thorns in the side of the game-preserver." Lessons in naturalism from 1904 that we still have yet to really embrace in 2017. #naturalist #history #falconry #countrylife #nature #naturenerd #primarysources #yorkshire #merlin #merlinbird #wildlife #wildlifeconservation #naturalhistory #birds #birdnerd #moorland

Bird? Bird bird bird bird.

Percy, a Merlin • • #merlin #merlinbird #ig_naturelovers #ig_brilliant #ig_captures #opendoorbirdsanctuary #birdphotography #birdwatching #bird_captures #nature_brilliance #bird_brilliance #nature_perfection #naturalwisconsin #discoverwisconsin #travelwi #wisconsin #upnorth #elite_raptors #raptors #elite_owls #conquer_wi #nuts_about_birds #outwigo #doorcounty #doorcountywi #birdsofprey #predator (at Open Door Bird Sanctuary) https://www.instagram.com/p/CBtSGAwhCA6/?igshid=kj6b0ite5jof

This tiny raptor, rested for a while on our garden fence. We felt so honoured that he/she deigned to visit and it made our day. Nature is the supreme artist 😊 we think it’s a Merlin or a juvie sparrow hawk, It was only about the size of a thrush! I hope some #ornithologist out there can tell me for sure? #birdwatching#raptor#sparrowhawk#merlinbird#bbcspringwatch #whatbirdisthis#raptorhawk#britishtrustforornithology #beautiful#bijouxbirdy#tinypredator#tinyraptor (at Birmingham, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/B9J8OdgHodt/?igshid=kb7mbrup73o4

A Merlin Bird #merlinbird #animals #animalsketch #ipadpro #procreate #characterdesign #sketch #birds #birdsketch https://www.instagram.com/p/B0zSu0WDYxZ/?igshid=n3cswyf8muc9