the hore frost makes for very interesting picture. good eye contact. Might consider a little tighter crop to bring the bird closer. the bird looks a little soft
Looks to be Merlin. I had the great fortune of observing this species for the first time on 8 Dec 2009 at San Carlos Bay, Fort Myers, Florida. It is extremely fast in flight and apparently a very formidable predator for its smaller size. It's good to know its range is so vast. Have you considered including the date of the shot and where it was taken? I had inadvertently caused my bird to take flight before I got anywhere near as close as you appear to have approached the bird. Very well done.