Merlin
We first saw the Merlin in Lake View Cemetery this winter on December 12. It has been there most times we've looked since and allowed close approach today for this photo. It is always seen in the general vicinity of the Wade Chapel, around the lower pond to the maintenance building.
Gulls, ducks
On the east side lakefront this afternoon we saw the masses of gulls with good numbers of Great Black-backed Gulls present, at least one adult Lesser Black-backed on the docks at E. 55th St. marina and a few hundred Bonaparte's Gulls behind the Cleveland Public Power plant (and whale mural). There were small numbers of ducks and lots of Canada geese with inland ponds now frozen, but we didn't see anything unusual. There had been a male Shoveler as recently as Dec. 31 in Lake View, but the ponds there are iced over.
Burke raptors
The raptors at Burke Lakefront Airport were either taking a siesta or have been impacted by the snow cover as we saw absolutely none this afternoon. Fairly late in the afternoon of Dec. 25 we had trouble counting all the birds there. Minimum numbers were:
Northern Harrier - 2
Red-tailed Hawk - 2
Rough-legged Hawk - 1 light phase (a friend had a dark phase that day)
American Kestrel - 1
Short-eared Owl - 2.
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