We have had so many encounters with this ‘pocket rocket’, that it is hard to choose, but here goes. On the summit of Carn Ban Mor, in the Cairngorms many years ago, we saw at close range a Merlin repeatedly stooping at a Meadow Pipit. Each time the Merlin did this the Pipit would climb swiftly upwards 2-3 feet and the Merlin seemed incapable of manoeuvring to follow it, due to the speed of its dive. But while the Merlin gained height to make another stoop, the Pipit moved closer and closer to the ground, and finally was able to make a dive into some leggy heather and hide. On another occasion a Merlin came down out of the sky like a guided missile, and turned upwards just beneath a hovering Meadow Pipit, and grabbed it. Merlin 1 / Meadow Pipit 1.
A more peaceful event took place on the track behind the hill Rueval on Benbecula, as we were walking back around Loch Ba Una having visited the east coast. Out of the heather 3 immature Merlins fluttered unsteadily into the air and flew about 25 yards to where a couple of hay bales were stacked next to the track. They landed there and stayed there, watching us until we got to about 10-12 yards away and then flew swiftly away. They really are the most attractive birds.
On South Uist overlooking Loch Eyenort we once watched a similar posse of 3 excited immature Merlins in hot pursuit of a Starling. Their frantic wing-flapping got them no closer to the Starling which we observed to turn its head to look at its pursuers. The Merlins sensibly gave up and the Starling cruised away, almost certainly smiling.
Lee
A more peaceful event took place on the track behind the hill Rueval on Benbecula, as we were walking back around Loch Ba Una having visited the east coast. Out of the heather 3 immature Merlins fluttered unsteadily into the air and flew about 25 yards to where a couple of hay bales were stacked next to the track. They landed there and stayed there, watching us until we got to about 10-12 yards away and then flew swiftly away. They really are the most attractive birds.
On South Uist overlooking Loch Eyenort we once watched a similar posse of 3 excited immature Merlins in hot pursuit of a Starling. Their frantic wing-flapping got them no closer to the Starling which we observed to turn its head to look at its pursuers. The Merlins sensibly gave up and the Starling cruised away, almost certainly smiling.
Lee
