Merlin
" Copyright Rory McCann. This drawing is one of a series of 20 produced
to
illustrate a forthcoming book "The Long Mynd - Its birds and Wildlife"
The
male Merlin is only the same size as a blackbird, and has a blue-grey back and
wings, and a buff, sometimes orange, breast with dark streaks. Females
and juveniles are dark brown above, and have a barred tail and heavily streaked
underparts. Merlins have a fast, low, direct flight, and twist and turn when
chasing other birds.
The
Long Mynd is the only known regular breeding site in the County. They may
be seen there on the heather moorland at any time, and the number of winter
sightings is increasing as milder winters allow more small birds to remain on
the moor all year. However, Merlins usually become established only when their
main prey species, Meadow Pipit, is also present in good numbers, from late
March until October. The nesting locations
change each year, and are kept strictly confidential.
In
addition, breeding season records have also been received in recent years from
Brown Clee and The Stiperstones. Merlins are so elusive that the species might
already breed there.
No
distribution map for Merlin in the County was published in The
Atlas (1992). The map on the previous page shows the recorded breeding
season distribution in the last five years, which in fact is little different
from that in 1985-90. The species wanders widely outside the breeding season,
and occasional April records received from areas away from heather moorland have
not been included on the distribution map.
Until
the end of the first week in May, Merlins may be seen hunting over any part of
the heather moorland. Occasionally a pair will be seen displaying over potential
nest sites. After this, the female is rarely seen until the young are well
grown. She sits very tight at the nest, on eggs and small young, and may not
even leave the nest if someone stands by the tree, directly underneath it. Males
may sometimes be seen perched on a rock outcrop, or tree, close to the nest, but
usually they are out of sight, or away hunting, and they bring food to the nest
only a few times a day.
In
common with other falcons, females are significantly larger than males. This is
a more efficient arrangement for feeding growing nestlings. While they are
small, and the female remains at the nest to guard them, the male brings in
small items of food, but when the nestlings are bigger, and need more food, the
female also hunts and brings in larger prey for them as well.
Nests
are almost always in old Crows’ nests in
hawthorn trees on steep hillsides just below the open heather moorland, although
occasionally an old Magpie’s nest may be used. Both male and female defend the
nest vigorously against potential predators, particularly when recently hatched
young are at their most vulnerable. Crows, Ravens, other raptors, and even
Herons, will be vigorously attacked and driven away.
Only
one brood is raised, although a second clutch may be laid if the first eggs are
lost early. Merlins are normally most conspicuous in mid July, shortly after the
young fledge. The fledglings will be scattered around the hillside near the
nest, often perched in other trees, and both adults call loudly to them when
bringing in food. The young birds also spend a lot of time on the wing,
developing their aerobatic skills. However, if the first clutch fails, young
from a second clutch may not leave the nest until early August.
The
earliest record of confirmed breeding by Merlins on the Long Mynd is from 1896,
but there is no reason to doubt that nesting occurred on a more or less regular
basis both before and after this date. Two
pairs were found regularly up until 1990, but only one pair has been found in
most years since then. There was a welcome return to two pairs in 2004.
Merlin
is on the Amber List of Birds
Of Conservation Concern: 2002–7. Nationally, the
population declined for most of the 20th century, but it is making a
comeback from a low point of only 550 pairs in the 1960s, which resulted from
the effects of organochlorine poisoning. The population has doubled in the last
25 years, and is now around 1,300 pairs
Merlins’
main prey is Meadow Pipit. Availability of
prey is likely to be the limiting factor on any potential increase in the Long
Mynd population. Research elsewhere found that sheep farming had the effect of
creating grass areas within the heather, which provided suitable breeding
habitat for Meadow Pipits. However, greater levels of grazing led to shorter
grass and a reduction in the number of Meadow Pipits, which were replaced by
Skylarks. Thus locally the decline to one regular breeding pair is
possibly related to a reduction in Meadow Pipit density, which is a likely
consequence of overgrazing. Although Skylarks replace Meadow Pipits following
overgrazing, local analysis of Merlin prey found no Skylark remains in the
sample.
Efforts
to reduce the sheep population on the Long Mynd will be beneficial for Merlins
if the total area of heath is increased, and longer grass is interspersed with
the heather, but will be counterproductive if the density of heather increases
to the extent that the grass is squeezed out, so the Meadow Pipit population is
reduced. As the national Merlin population is increasing, there
is no reason why the historic level of two breeding pairs cannot be re-attained, if Long Mynd habitat can be managed to increase the Meadow Pipit
population.
In addition, it is also possible that the species may breed on the Stiperstones and Brown Clee, or might do so in future if the heather moorland there is managed to increase the Meadow Pipit population.