Craig Tooley always has his camera with him, so he was able to take a quick photo of a Merlin lifting off from a tree.

Merlins are small, fierce falcons. They prey on small birds. They were impacted by the pesticide DDT, but they have recovered since DDT was banned. Fun Fact: Merlins don't build their own nests. They take over an old nest built by other raptors. Here is a link to hear their calls: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Merlin/sounds

Thanks to Craig for allowing  me to share his photo with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: www.ruffimage.com

It's hard to believe, but we have a winter-like series of storms coming in for Wednesday and Thursday. Wow!