Found this beauty in my greenhouse today, it let me pick it up and posed
for this before releasing. Should have been cross as it has eaten all the
male blackbirds over the last two weekswww.roselandhouse.co.uk/visitor.htm
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwallwww.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

Is that a Merlin?

Des

I thought it was a sparrow hawk, but I am no expert, we only realy see
Merlins at the coast, but I think they are bigger
--
Charlie Pridham,

I have never seen either that close so I cannot tell the difference
from that view :-). *Merlins are smaller that Sparrowhawks and do eat
birds. *Sparrowhawks are much commoner though and you had the thing in
your hand so I will not argue that.
The small looking size made me think Merlin.

Des

Remember that the male sparrowhawk is substantially smaller than the
female; I think that's what you've got here.