Is this a merlin?

[rocklakemama]

We saw this bird flying about over a lake in September in Bruce Peninsula. We thought it was a kestrel, but now we're wondering if it's a merlin. We've never seen one.

[Pat Hodgson]

Yes, merlin.  Kestrel undertail looks nothing like this.

[rocklakemama]

Thank you for confirming! Very cool! (We only realized it wasn't a kestrel when we compared its tail to pics of kestrel tails on the internet, but with all the variations with age, sex, season, etc., I'm never sure about a bird until a learned birder from this group IDs it for us  :oops: )