Fast and furious might be too good adjectives to describe this little raptor. They are not easy to get pictures of as they tend to be skittish and when they take off, in my experience, they have a way of doing so at a speed and direction that makes getting a flight picture extremely difficult.
On this particularl day though, my finger was just fast enough to catch this one right as it launched into the air. I’m pleased with the image as it is very sharp and showcases the flight form of this falcon and its small but undoubtedly sharp talons – by far the best flight capture I have gotten of one of these.
Merlins are small raptors, a bit bigger than a Kestrel, but are just as ferocious as the other members of the falcon family. They prefer to dine on other, smaller birds, attacking with extraordinary speed and ferocity.
