Ready steady fly

The morning had been really hard work, overslept, then literally forcing reluctant kids back to school, kicking and screaming. My mood wasn't improved by my encounter with the resident herons, merrily flapped away as soon as I got my tripod up and camera ready, the elusive egret made an appearance, but took an instant dislike to my shutter noise and scarpered after a blurry shot. So I gave up and I was walking home after an unsuccessful photo session down the local nature reserve when I came across this beautiful bird, I think it is a young Merlin. I got quite a few pictures from different angles, this particular frame was the last one, as s/he then took off, swooping down on the ground a few yards from me to catch a prey, water vole I think, as it looked to big to be a mouse, then s/he flew into the woods with the prey in its talons.