Merlin
A Merlin is a raptor that is a small falcon, not a hawk. As with all falcons, it is a skilled hunter - in its case, its prey is other birds not small mammals. The Merlin was highly prized by female falconers in England in Shakespeare's time because of its size. The Merlin gave rise to the expression "off on a lark" which means to go off and enjoy oneself now, but the original meaning of the term was that a falconer's Merlin was off chasing a Lark (often a Skylark) attempting to catch it. This bird is a female of the Taiga subspecies and the image was captured after she narrowly missed catching a young robin and landed in this tree to rest and look for other prey.
Uploaded on September 12, 2008