This soggy bird was perched on a low rooftop in the gurnet residential area on a drizzly, foggy morning. I was able to creep close in my car and shot this through the window. From this photo it's hard to envision this bird as the efficient predator that knifes low over the marsh efficiently picking off unsuspecting larks, sparrows, sandpipers, voles etc..

When it flew up it was immediately joined by a second Merlin. They swooped fast and wide over the Gurnet area once in reasonably close formation, like a pair of fighter planes, and then headed out toward the marsh.