Seward, Alaska
Ooooo! A late summer dragonfly!
O! A MERLIN!
Apparently, we both spotted the dragonfly at the same time, with radically different responses. The Merlin hurled after the dragonfly from a hidden perch, banked in a tight circle right in front of me, tail feathers flared and wings outstretched, nabbed the unsuspecting aerialist with one outstretched yellow talon, and landed gracefully on a nearby stump with the snack.
As fierce as a bald eagle with a red salmon, the Merlin glared around protectively, then tore into the meal. It didn’t take long, not surprisingly, as there isn’t much to even a largish dragonfly.
The little falcon sat quietly on its mossy stump, framed by burgundy fireweed topped with white seed plumes. I flushed a few more dragonflies as I left, thinking of them now as flying snacks as well as marvels of the insect world and a challenging photographic subject.
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
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