From a 2006 D&C article:

Copyright 2006 - Rochester Democrat and Chronicle NY - All Rights Reverved

Mark Hare

Senior editor

Laurie Kapuscinski was walking her dog about 6 one morning this spring when she spotted the merlins high atop the conifer in Bob and Diane Larter's yard.

"I ran home to wake up Tim (her husband, Tim Tatakis) and tell him, 'I think I found the nest.' It was very exciting," she said.

Kapuscinski and Tatakis had heard the birds' distinctive call last summer in their 19th Ward neighborhood in southwest Rochester -- and again this April, but they did not know whether the sounds belonged to a mating pair.

Elise Carter first became aware of the merlins in early spring when she and her husband began to hear an unfamiliar bird call.

"The calling went on all day and was hard to ignore," Carter says, "reminding us of jungle sounds in nature documentaries."

At first, Carter and her husband, Hal, weren't sure what the birds were, but with their binoculars, they could see that the birds had nested in a tall evergreen in the Larters' yard. They learned a short time later that a bird watcher had identified the pair as merlins, a falcon that has not been known to nest in Rochester in more than 60 years.

Kapuscinski, who lives just north and west of the Larters, says, "I had been looking for them because I saw the male earlier in the spring and I read that typically the males come first and scope out the area."

Until now, the merlins seen here have mostly been birds migrating along the lakeshore in spring. And even then they have been relatively rare. Only about 20 a year, on average, have been tallied over the years at the Braddock Bay Raptor Research hawkwatch.

Merlins have also turned up as visitors at other times of the year. But there have been no recent breeding records in our region. The last was in 1939, when a nest was reported atop a dead tree stub near the Genesee River at Scottsville, according to Clark Beardslee and Harold Mitchell in Birds of the Niagara Frontier Region.

While some of their neighbors watched the merlins soar and swoop overhead into the summer, taking some delight in the fledglings, or young birds (three, according to most observers), the Larters were not aware they had become merlin innkeepers for the season.

"I'm not a bird person," says Diane Larter, the former deputy director of Monroe County's Department of Health and Human Services. "I never saw them."

"I wasn't aware they were here," says her husband, Bob, owner of the King Sales carnival supplies and shop on Sager Drive. "But I have a neighbor who told me about them and I looked them up on the Internet. I think they took off after a really bad thunderstorm."

Elise Carter began to hear additional calls, immature calls she attributed to young merlins in early summer.

"The babies were flying all over, lower than the adults, sometimes playfully chasing each other, swooping up and down," she says.

The 19th Ward was one of Rochester's first truly integrated neighborhoods, thanks in part to a very active community association and a long tradition of middle-class families who describe themselves as "urban by choice."

Like many neighborhoods, though, the 19th Ward has suffered the stress that attaches to older cities with declining populations.

Its residents and businesses hope for a renaissance, starting perhaps with the long-awaited Brooks Landing development across the river from the University of Rochester.

The merlins could be a metaphor for renewal, a sign of change and hope -- visible and appreciated only by those who take the time to really watch and listen.

They have returned to urban areas, says Ann Hobbs, public information specialist with the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology in Ithaca, because of reforestation (especially conifers) across the Northeast and the "proliferation of some of their favorite food sources, mourning doves and especially European starlings."

Their move into cities and suburbs shows that merlins "have been adapting to the fact that birds are concentrating at bird feeders," says Bruce Peterjohn, a wildlife biologist at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Md.

At first, merlins appeared at feeding stations only during winter; but they have become year-round residents in some places.

They may or may not return to the 19th Ward next spring. But some 19th Warders say they expect the merlins to return in 2007.

"I'm sure one of them at least was on the roof of our balcony chattering at me when I sat in my chair," says harpist Susan Morehouse, who lives down the street from the Larters and Carters. "We were told there were no merlins here and I kept trying to make them immature peregrine falcons."

Like Morehouse, Kapuscinski, a project manager at Xerox Corp., and Tatakis, chairman of the biology department at Monroe Community College, are sure the merlins were in Rochester a year ago.

"We didn't notice them until the fledglings were out," Kapuscinski says. "But once you've heard them, there's no mistake."

"They are very active in the morning, right around 5:30," says Tatakis. "They are fearless and very loud."

"We hope they come back next year," says Kapuscinski, echoing the sentiments of several of her neighbors.

Includes reporting by staff writer Bob Marcotte.

Wasn't there a newspaper article a few years ago about merlins in the 19th word?  Perhaps this is a member of the same family?

The Wild Wings merlin is from the rochester area but I'm not sure where she was found

Happy birthday,Anne!!! 

these are stunning!

wonderful pictures!  I so loved barred owls but each of them was really beautiful to see!

that is absolutely beautiful!  Daddy did so much to show that the stereotype of pits was just that.  What a sweet boy.

This sweet dog was truly a pit bull ambassador:

http://www.peoplepets.com/news/dogs/cesar-millan-s-beloved-pit-bull-daddy-dies-at-16/1

Cesar Millan's unique understanding of dogs earned him the name the Dog Whisperer, but he didn't work alone. He had a secret weapon, a capable assistant and constant sidekick in the form of 16-year-old pit bull Daddy, who died last week after spending nearly his entire life with Millan and his family, according to Cesar's Way magazine.

Daddy came into Millan's life when he was just a 4-month-old puppy. Too challenging for his original owner, rapper Redman, Daddy was folded into Millan's family, and eventually became an example of a calm, submissive pit bull that was always around to help Millan in a training pinch.

The chestnut-coated pup was often photographed smiling, rolling around on his back, or cuddling with other dogs, both large and small. Sensitive to emotion, Daddy would try to comfort humans or dogs that were feeling sad or upset.

At 14, Daddy was nearing the end of his life, and Millan decided to retire him. Luckily, Daddy helped nurture a protégé in the form of gray pit bull Junior. His post-retirement life included a successful battle with cancer, thanks to the help of chemotherapy, but on Feb. 19, Daddy said goodbye to his pack, and to his own daddy, Cesar Millan.

To honor Daddy's memory, Millan's foundation has set up Daddy's Emergency Animal Rescue Fund, from which assistance will go to dogs that are victims of violence, abuse or disaster

and hasn't there been a juvie in irondequoit which may or may not been hanging around mariah?

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/02/12/war.dogs/index.html?hpt=C2
 

Chengdu, China, February 11, 2010: Mei Lan – China’s recently returned panda diplomat to Atlanta – has been announced as an Earth Hour Global Ambassador, launching the countdown to Earth Hour 2010.

At 8.30pm on Saturday 27 March, millions of people across all continents will switch off their lights for one hour – Earth Hour – to show the world what can be done to resolve the dilemma of global warming.

Mei Lan takes up her first new diplomatic duty launching Earth Hour in the her hometown of Chengdu, the first city in China to commit its support to Earth Hour 2010. The recognized symbol of WWF, giant pandas have lived in Chengdu for more than 8 million years.

“As a citizen of Chengdu, Mei Lan will be standing with 13 million residents of the city in taking part in Earth Hour,� said Mr. Ye Lang, spokesperson of the Chengdu municipal government.

“Chengdu is committed to developing a low-carbon economy and building a world-class garden city of tomorrow to create harmony between man and nature. This is highly in line with Earth Hour’s overall goal.�

The people of Chengdu will join citizens from all over the world in more than 70 countries that have already signed up to the ‘lights out’ event, including four nations from four separate continents – Paraguay, Mongolia, Madagascar and Czech Republic – who will take part in Earth Hour for the very first time.

Earth Hour continues to gather momentum as the people of the world take it upon themselves to show that a resolution to the threat of global warming is possible through collective action.  New countries, cities, towns and municipalities are signing up daily to take action by turning their lights out on 27 March, 2010.

Earth Hour Co-Founder and Executive Director, Andy Ridley, said it is clear from the huge interest and commitment to Earth Hour from all over the world that the planet’s population is determined to lead the way for a climate resolution.

“Earth Hour 2010 is proof of the global community’s desire to adopt low-carbon lifestyle habits and show some leadership to our world leaders in addressing the issue of global warming,� he said.

“Never has there been a more important time or better opportunity for the people of the world to stand up and take the matter of climate change into their own hands.  Earth Hour brings together communities, businesses and individuals to show world leaders and, more importantly, show each other, that a resolution to global warming is possible if we work on it together. It’s time to show the world what can be done,â€� he said.

WWF Director General, Jim Leape said Earth Hour is honored that Chengdu is leading by example in the world’s fastest growing economy by both committing to Earth Hour and gifting the services of Mei Lan for this prestigious position.

“Chengdu is the centerpiece in launching Earth Hour 2010’s massive global call to action for a climate resolution,� Mr Leape said.

Since its inception in Sydney, Australia in 2007, Earth Hour has grown from a one-city event to a sweeping global action, with hundreds of millions of people in over 4,100 cities and towns across 88 countries participating in Earth Hour 2009 in what was the greatest voluntary action the world has ever known. Some of the world’s most iconic landmarks, such as the Pyramids in Egypt, Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, the Acropolis in Athens and even the lights of the Las Vegas strip also went dark.

Mei Lan joins an esteemed alumnus of past and present Earth Hour ambassadors including The Most Reverend Desmond Tutu, Cold Play and Cate Blanchett.  Fans will be able to follow her ambassador role via; www.twitter.com/earthour and www.earthhour.org. 

So the stage is set for Earth Hour 2010: the greatest show on Earth for action on climate change.

Have a wonderful birthday, Baer el!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Caught by Camera 1. It was then until 9:31. Main Camera did not capture it.

??????

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5NODjsS5DQ&feature=player_embedded

This is a precious interview with beautiful pictures. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/news/2010/02/100208_panda_slides.shtml

Happy birthday!!!!!