Photos of birds as they land are a challenge, especially when your subject is a quick little falcon. But when you find one that repeatedly lands on the same perch you do have some small chance at success.
1/1600, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
Yesterday morning I spent some time with this pretty little male American Kestrel at Farmington as it hunted from a rusty old gravel separator. It was hunting insects on a hillside to the right and sometimes it would return to the same perch after a short hunting foray. So I prefocused on the place on the perch the kestrel took off from and hoped it would return to the same spot. This time it did. It was without prey but other times it had an insect in its beak.
Here the falcon has just touched down with its wings spread, its tail flared (I wish we could see more of it) and its claws about to curl over the edge of the perch. My timing was pretty good on this one to get a perfect head turn with eye contact because a millisecond earlier it would have been looking down at the spot where it was about to land and I would have had no eye contact. I also enjoy the pretty good look at the partially open alulae (bastard wings).
It was 20 degrees F. when I arrived at the refuge so I was a little surprised there were still active insects around for this bird to hunt, but there were. It won’t be long before kestrels will have to rely on voles and the occasional small bird as their only sources of food.
Ron
Love the male kestrels.
Thank you for a new vocabulary word: alulae. 🙂 Gorgeous photo. Your instincts paid big dividends!
Fantastic shot Ron!
Charlotte
Thanks, Charlotte.
I think the Kestrel is beautiful but I have a hard time getting close enough to one. I may have to hang out around old machinery! Thanks, Stephen
They’re notorious for being uncooperative like that, Stephen. This one was more interested in hunting from his favorite perch than aggravating me!
I am always happy to see images of this ferocious charmer.
Thank you.
Ferocious is right, EC. Thanks.
Big smile! My usual reaction when I see an American Kestrel. Thank you for starting my day out on such a nice note.
I’m glad you enjoyed the photo, Susan. Thank you.
What a lovely shot! “Both fun and frustrating”…yep, I get that. The EVIL princess here is both of those simultaneously and multiple puncture wounds are the norm.
Kestrels are such gorgeous jewels (NOTE I did NOT say little…that’s bad). I, too, am surprised that there are still bugs for them to hunt, but then life often surprises me.
Again, thank you for a lovely beginning to my day.
Yup, if there’s a bird with an attitude it has to be kestrels in my experience.
That’s spelled ATTITUDE 🙂
They are eagles at heart.
Great shot Ron! 🙂 The bird would be frustrating to catch even with prefocus. Here, at least, the ground is still warm so the insects are still about even with the cold.
Judy, It was cold enough when I arrived at the refuge that many of the ponds were frozen over. “Bugs” are tough little buggers!
Beautiful, love the underwing feather detail.
What a fun day!
It was both fun and frustrating, Dick. Not many birds out and about…
Yes that has been my experience of late. I think I have more and a larger varity of birds in my back yard. Just contemplating where to explore Sunday, maybe a trip to BRMBR.
Maybe you’ll find some swans. Saw my first swan of the season, a lone juvenile, at Farmington yesterday.