Mrs. Merlin??????

This little hawk has visited the last couple of years, but this is the first time I was able to get any pictures. It is only about 8" long, is a gray/brown color, has yellow eyes, yellow short legs and feet and cream belly with spots. Its tail is very banded with dark brown. I had three bird books out while she was there and I am pretty sure it is a Marlin.
She was trying to get some chick a dees, but they didn't any mistakes and all got away. The sun was out and glared on the window. Hope you can help me identify this little hawk.

Here is another shot of it on the top of the feeder, waiting for the chickadees.

Here is a good shot of its back. "I am just a dove...little chickadees...feeding on the ground....don't mind me."

Last picture.....

Haha! It sure looks innocent in the third picture... a lot darker than the Merlins around here, too. At that size I don't think it could be anything else. But Merlins are true Falcons, not hawks, Falco columbarius

Yes, Falcon...we do not see many of these, but do see hawks of many kind. She is so little to be a bird of prey. She stayed around for about 20 minutes, then skitted over the water, bopped a duck on the head and went for the cattails. The duck was so startled that it thrashed around throwing water up all over. I am not sure what she was trying to do to the duck, as she is not much bigger than the duck's head. Maybe she was just frustrated.
The picture of the bird's back was how she was most of the time she was in. I even tapped on the window to try to get a flight picture or a turn of the head. She ignored me. I thought that was amazing. You know she knew I was there. Picture 3 (back picture) was only about 10 feet from the window.

I'd agree with Merlin. Lucky to get one you could get so close to!

Resin

According to all the information I could find, they are not native to this area, yet I have seen this one all seasons. I also agree to be lucky to be able to even catch one picture, as they see everything even movement many feet behind windows. She must have been really intent on getting one of those tastey little chickadees.
Maybe she is nesting here?

Maybe it's a Sharp-shinned Hawk, the two are surprisingly difficult to tell apart with a perched bird like this (they've got very different wing shape in flight, though), so that's a possibility - certainly S-sH is the more likely to turn up at a garden bird feeder.

Resin

Cpartschick, you're not very far from their breeding range, and there are a very few in Michigan... hopefully you'll get a closer look (if that's possible!) and maybe some more pictures.

Resin, you may be right. I did get a really good look at the bird. It was very close for quite a while and I used the binocs as well so I got a very good look, it was the sun shinning right at the windows that were hard to get a clear picture. (ex of course when it was facing away) It was too fast to get it in flight. It flew back and forth from tree to ground a couple times.The picture I have for a sharp-shinned hawk shows the right coloring, mine has yellower eyes and also yellow around the base of the beak, but the shape of the head looks more like my bird. Not sure how I missed this one in the book. Thanks.
Claypa, I am excited to see these birds here. Some people do not want them around but they are part of the system and to see these strong hunters in action are wonderful. We are also suppose to have the American Kestrel, but, I have never seen one....yet. I hope I get better pictures someday, but for now I sure enjoyed my 1/2 hour with this one.

It does not have a merlin facial marking and is probably an accipiter . If your size estimate is correct it is likely a sharp shinned . Sharpies , Coopers and Goshawks love hunting at feeders. Jane

I noticed too that the shape of the head is different. The bird I saw has no neck, as the s.s. hawk. Merlin has a slight indentation at the neck. There seemed to be no markings on the face. But I was told that is how you tell a Marlin from a female kestrel. The merlins have no markings and the kestrel has. The color was all wrong for a kestrel.
The bird I had was really a cross between a merlin and a s.s.hawk in color. Hubby was there and saw it too. He looked again at the book and he feels that it probably is a s.s. hawk just from the shape of the head.
This bird maybe was 10", but I think more like 8" It was a small bird. About the size of a morning dove, mater of fact at first seeing it, you think...that is a wierd dove...sits different...then you see it is something else.
I am used to seeing osprey, eagles, redtail, etc...with their big hooked beak for tearing prey apart. This one has such a little beak, but it is hooked.
Thanks everyone for the comments and help. I was sure lucky to see this one long enough to even get a good try at identification. A red tail was in looking around yesterday. But could not get a picture. They seem to have....well....eyes like a hawk!

After spending years watching the hawk migration in the spring and fall with for the Hawk Migration Association of North America here in the northeast one learns that there is some individual differences in coloring and the body posture of a hunting hawk is different that a relaxed perching one often pictured. If you can find a copy of Peterson's field guide to Hawks by Clark and Wheeler that may help with the id. Meanwhile you had a great sighting and got interesting pictures.Hopefully you hawk will live to migrate though your yard another year. Jane

Thanks Jane.
I think this one lives here, as I have seen it many times of the year. I do not have that book. That would be a good one to get as we have so many times of hawks here. I think living on the water (lake) in front of a nice marsh area that is the mouth of a river, bordered by heavy woods, brings in a multitude of different birds to our feeder and frontage. There is always something to see out front.