Six images of two Merlin young being fed and trained. The two young Merlins are already about the size of the adults - probably at least six to seven weeks old.

In the top image, the more aggressive young is holding its breakfast (a small bird) caught by one of its parents. Both young were sitting high up in a tall oak tree, about three meters apart, when one of the parents flew by with breakfast. Both young squawked like mad, but the parent did not bring its catch to either. Instead it flew to a distant tree from which it enticed the young to come and get it. The dominant young immediately took off, retrieved the catch and flew back to its initial perch about 3 meters from its sibling. There it settled down to have an early morning breakfast.


The meeker of the two young edged a bit closer to its sibling, hoping to grab a bite; however, the dominant one would have none of it and moved further away.


The meeker one then returned to its perch at the top of the tree to pout and to anxiously wait for its meal.


All of a sudden it got exited and started to squawk louder and....


...... louder as if to demand that its meal be brought to him/her. Mom/Dad would have none of it. Again the adult with the catch landed in a distant tree enticing junior to come and get it. Junior, however, just continued its loud squawking/screaming. Then, all of a sudden........


..... one of the adults came out of nowhere, it seemed, and charged junior throwing it right of its perch. Junior then flew of and did not return. It probably ate its dinner where Mom/Dad had placed it.

Tomorrow some more images of the young Merlin having breakfast. Click "PREVIOUS"