A Merlin Hawking Dragonflies

29th September 2023

On our last visit to Frampton Marsh we managed to connect with the Lesser Yellowlegs, White-rumped Sandpiper and Black Tern, not to mention Little Stints and Curlew Sandpipers. But we also saw a Merlin exhibiting, at least as far as I am concerned, totally uncharacteristic behaviour.

I have seen a number of Merlins over the years, mainly distant birds whooshing through low at break-neck speed only to disappear over the horizon, and have only seen perched birds on a few occasions. Well today presented the best opportinuity to get some shots of these elusive birds as a juvenile/female bird was hawking for dragonflies, yes dragonflies, over the Reed Bed Hide scrape!!!

In between forays it was sitting on the scrape having a rest and looking for its next meal.

Then once it was ready for another dragonfly it was off in pursuit.

Here it is with its eye on its next prey item, which from the time of year and size is almost certainly a Migrant Hawker. Now in for the kill.

A successful capture and you can see the dragonfly between the birds head and talon.

I was always under the impression that they fed almost exclusively on small birds, but apparently they do occasionally take insects.