Merlin

I spent an hour or so today, searching through my photo archive for pictures for my blog header, then cropping them to the right size and aspect ratio. My intention is to change the photo as the seasons progress, and I will... but I couldn't resist putting up this little guy for a while.

Merlins are small birds of prey that have quite happily adapted to life near suburbia. I spotted this one completely by accident. I was in Bellevue for an appointment, and just as I finished backing into a parking spot, I turned my head to the left, and there he was, about 8 feet away. I pulled out my camera and snapped two pictures before he flew away.

Since he won't be in the header for long (he'll be back this fall), I've included the picture here.