It's a Merlin!

Only my second one ever. I understand that they have begun to increase in the last few years and are being seen in urban settings.We were in Montezuma again today , having stayed at a lovely Band B in Seneca Falls overnight. Today was a pleasant surprise ,after a summer of where is everybody?  Sandhill cranes, a merlin, and a stilt sandpiper amongst the multitude of yellowlegs . Wow, like a lifer and an uncommon one all in one day , with a possible dunlin yesterday though so very far away that one is hard to confirm. Ah well. Took a circuitous route home through Ithaca where we stopped for Thai food, then through Owego to Endicott in the hopes of donuts, Alas they were closed before we got there due to being distracted by stopped at a bicycle shop. My husband wants me to start biking with him and decided he was going to pay for the bike. Ouch , way too much money so I told him it's my birthday present for the next 5 years.IfI don't kill myself on it first. Last time I was on a bike I was 38.