With a name like Merlin, you'd better be pretty cool. And the small falcon called the Merlin certainly delivers the goods. It lives on many continents and is a pleasure to watch -- a tough, but graceful bird. It is one of the many raptors on the move this spring. Although not every bird will vacate its wintering grounds in the Lower 48 (primarily the West, Midwest and South), many will head for Canada, and even Alaska, for breeding in the spring. But fear not, like the Merlin of legend, they will keep coming back. Taking a quick look at the eBird* maps from last year shows some serious movement in California:

Here's the map from April of 2011 showing a good number of sightings throughout the state:

And then by the end of April 2011, they'll almost all gone:

* Another plug for eBird. Seriously, are you using this thing yet? Not only is it a great way to turn your birding into real conservation data that others can use, but it's also pretty darn fascinating. If you haven't checked it out, do so.