Merlin

This particular bird resides at the Alberta Bird of Prey Centre in Coaldale, southern Alberta, a wonderful place that rehabilitates and releases (whenever possible) various birds of prey - hawks, owls, Bald Eagles, Turkey Vultures, and Golden Eagles. Some of these birds act as Wildlife Ambassadors, too, educating the public.

It's not unusual to see a Merlin in the wild here, but usually when I see one, it is flying way off in the distance. The bird in this photo was tethered outside and was partly in the shade when I was there. I'm not sure, but I think this is either a female or a juvenile?

"Merlins are small, fierce falcons that use surprise attacks to bring down small songbirds and shorebirds. They are powerful fliers, but you can tell them from larger falcons by their rapid wingbeats and overall dark tones. Medieval falconers called them “lady hawks,” and noblewomen used them to hunt Sky Larks. Merlin populations have largely recovered from twentieth-century declines, thanks to a ban on the pesticide DDT and their ability to adapt to life around towns and cities." From AllAboutBirds.

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Merlin/id

It had been a few years since my last visit to the Alberta Bird of Prey Centre - I've only been maybe three or four times - and I had been longing to go back. Much too far and all new driving territory for me to even think about driving there myself. However, six days ago, on 9 September 2016, that is exactly what I did. A friend had said she would come along, too, but she emailed me at 1:00 am that morning to say that she assumed our trip had been cancelled, as she hadn't heard back about the time to meet. In fact, I had sent two emails giving the time, so I don't know what happened there. Very unfortunate, as it would have been great to have had company on such a long drive, and I know she would have had fun with her camera.

I knew it would be a long day and further than I would normally drive - and in a brand new car that I have yet to learn to drive! It doesn't look or feel quite as new now, after travelling 481 km! Only got lost twice, one minor and the other major. Must have taken a wrong turn somewhere way down south and I ended up in the city of Lethbridge, that I had very carefully planned to avoid. After driving for three and three-quarter hours, I finally arrived, to my huge relief.

Despite getting there later than I had hoped, I still had more than enough time to wander round the grounds and photograph the various raptors. Some were tethered out in a grassy area and others were in outdoor cages. Wonderful to get such a close look at the various majestic birds.

I took a slightly different way home via #845 (?), making absolutely sure that I didn't accidentally find myself in Lethbridge again and it wasn't too long before I found myself in the area that I had driven a few weeks ago, when I went SW of Vulcan to look for Common Nighthawks (without any luck).

Just so happy that I finally made myself do this drive. When I Googled the Centre's website, I had discovered that they were closing two days later for the winter. So, it was either a case of going the next day or not at all till next May onwards.

The day after this adventure, 10 September 2016, I took my daughter on a long drive in Kananaskis. This was yet another place that I had longed to be able to drive for many years - and finally I did it! I had been lots of times with various friends, but this was the very first time I had ever driven myself. We had planned to do this a few weeks earlier, but then my car had major repairs that needed to be done. Instead, I knew I just couldn't put any more money into my 17-year-old car, and I ended up replacing it. So glad we went on this particular day, as it snowed the following day.