Date: 5/18/26 7:26 am From: Dennis Paulson via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Merlin VS. Redwing
Dragonflies are common prey of Merlins and other small falcons. Numerous kinds of dragonflies, most of them large, fly continuously as they look for their flying insect prey, and they have no chance against Merlins. Swallow-tailed and Mississippi Kites catch large numbers of them in the Southeast, and the Mississippis time their fall migration through eastern Mexico to coincide with swarms of Common Green Darners also migrating south well up in the air.
Dennis Paulson
Seattle
> On May 17, 2026, at 11:51 PM, Hans-Joachim Feddern via Tweeters <tweeters...> wrote:
>
> This evening at Treasure Island Park, Twin Lakes, Federal Way, we watched a Merlin ( the falcon - not the app) chase a male Red-winged Blackbird. They made two rounds, but surprisingly enough the falcon was unable to catch up with the blackbird. Wisely, the blackbird dove into the willows, which made the falcon overshoot. What surprised me, is that the blackbird 's flight was fast enough to escape the falcon. Also it seems rather large for a Merlin's prey. Merlins seem to prey on swallows, but I also saw them last summer gorging themselves on an abundance of dragonflies. They were catching them and consuming them in midair !
>
> Good birding !
>
> Hans
>
> --
> Hans Feddern
> Twin Lakes/Federal Way, WA
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