UKH

Watched a Merlin trying to catch a small bird. Quite stunning to watch. Each time it nearly had it, the small bird would let out an odd noise, never heard this before. I admired meadow pipit. But I’ve looked at my photos. Wow !  I’ve asked a mega birder and he agrees with me. Have a good look, enough detail if you squint hard and use your imagination. My laptop is playing up, so these are edited from the jpeg (can’t edit RAW at the moment).  
Just spotted another thread title typo ….

Could it be a tit?

I knew you’d pop up first. Very funny !  

Not great shots, but then I looked again and any shots like these are great shots.

The very few times I have seen a Merlin(Orkney and north of Poolewe) their speed is amazing.

Dave

At one point they where 30 feet directly above my. Photo? No chance !  
I read that one of the reasons they can be found sitting for ages on posts and walls is that they expend such a huge amount of energy chasing their prey that they need to spend ages recovering. 

Looks a bit shrikey? Either that or a teat owl.

Re the mystery bird, I’m lucky in that as soon as I zoomed in on the photo it reminded me of something, and not a pipit or skylark, it was it’s wings and head shape:

Even though the photo is rubbish, there is no streaking on its breast, it’s colour looks quite uniform and tan

Its beak is not fine line a pipit, neither is it stumpy like a finch

Itd head shape makes it look like it make have a folded down crest

And a small flock of these had been seen the previous day - waxwing !  

Lots of waxwings at Hassop station. You can watch them from the cafe!