Merlin!

Whilst going around the roundabout at the entrance to West Hartford this afternoon I noticed a raptor sitting on the grass in front of the new fire station.
We went around the roundabout and pulled in a couple of meters in front of the curb the bird was perched on.
As I was getting out of the car I saw that it wasn’t the Sparrowhawk I had predicted but instead a Juvenile Merlin!
I managed to take a crap photo of it on my mams phone as I couldn’t find mine, but it may take some time for this to be uploaded.

Only at this close range could I appreciate what an amazing bird the Merlin is. It sat on the curb for about a minute before flying off low to the ground and landed amongst the small shrubs in the fire station car park.
As soon as I got home I made a few calls and was back out there within a few minutes but there was no sign.
Myself, LMcD and JM then checked the pools where over 100 gulls mostly Black Headed were bathing. Nothing interesting amongst them, it only a matter of time before a Little or Med Gull turns up.

108 - Merlin