Sailordad, you're in Minnesota, right? Merlins don't claim Minnesota, but both sharp shinned hawks and cooper's hawks cover that territory. At least that's what is shows for territory boundaries in the Peterson Field Guide for Hawks of North America.
Marc....I've got a young of the year male kestrel* and he's a heck of a character. I enjoy the sounds of him crunching thru the skull of his breakfast mouse every morning as I feed him on glove. For some reason he always starts with the heads, whether it's a day old chick, mouse, or grasshoppers.
I've noticed that we primitive archers are more likely to notice the little birds, unusual flowers, odd trees, and such things than the wheelie boys. I like that.
*and all the US F&W permits that are necessary!
