Abstract

On 3rd February 2018, a bedraggled Merlin Falco columbarius was photographed in a garden in Scrabster, Caithness. Subsequent examination of the photographs revealed the distinctive and diagnostic tail pattern associated with the North American ‘Taiga Merlin’ F. c. columbarius. It was seen again only briefly, on 18th February. Based on these photographs, the record was accepted by BBRC and BOURC as the first British record of Taiga Merlin, which has now been added to the British List.