The low winter sun is murder on the naturalist’s eyes, but whenever I’m heading home and turn the corner onto 5th Avenue I always glance up at the tall antenna tower at 40th Street. A female American Kestrel has been up there at last once a day all winter so far. Anyway, this old TV antenna is right across the street from the antenna tower. And that, my friends, is a classic Falco silhouette. Big round head with small bill, long narrow tail. But:
This is a Merlin. With House Sparrow prey. I was about to cross the street to get a different angle on the situation when:
A young Red-tail swooped over, making the Merlin scoot, with prey. My neighborhood is urban raptor-spectacular.
Backyard and Beyond 
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