Lesson learned – don’t piss off a female kestrel.
Two days ago I found the immature Red-tailed Hawk hunting from the same three light poles over an elevated roadway that I’ve found ‘him’ hunting from at least three times recently. Lighting conditions and setting were less than ideal but I took a few photos anyway.
I’m glad I stuck with him because things were about to get exciting.
He repeatedly flew from pole to pole as he hunted the steep slopes on both sides of the elevated road.
Occasionally he dived on prey, but each time he came up empty. His dives were pretty interesting because they were almost straight down, which sometimes gave him somewhat unusual flight postures.
After a while he flew about 75 yards to a steeply sloped chain link fence in front of a bridge on the same road and hunted from there.
I suspect he knew from previous experience that the resident pair of American Kestrels might take exception to his presence in their hunting territory but apparently he decided to take his chances.
I believe he regretted his decision.
Attack #1 – 1 photo.
Almost immediately the female kestrel started dive bombing him, repeatedly.
I had to move my pickup to photograph the action and while I was doing so I could see her attacking him again and again. This is the first attack I was able to photograph.
Each of these photos (except photo #3 above) is presented in the order they were taken. Sometimes I only got one photo I liked of an attack and other times I got as many as four.
Attack #2 – 2 photos.
She came from almost every angle and direction possible, apparently in an attempt to catch him off guard. She was usually…
screaming the entire way. I could easily hear her from my vantage point (her cries are actually ringing in my ears as I type this).
Attack #3 – 1 photo.
At times he appeared to try to be nonchalant about her attacks, barely reacting to them. Other times she came in close enough that he had no choice but to react.
Attack #4 – 1 photo.
Timing of these shots was tricky. I was far enough away that I could usually time my shots to get at least one photo that included both birds. But the kestrel was a speed demon, flying erratically and I never knew which direction she would come from, so…
Attack #5 – 1 photo.
in some attacks I barely kept her in frame for a single shot.
Attack #6 – 2 photos.
This time she was coming in head-on to the hawk, so she played it safe and…
pulled up at a safe distance.
Attack #7 – 4 photos.
Other times she threw safety to the wind and really challenged him by coming in close. Here she’s coming almost straight at him, which…
made him lose his cool.
She came in so close that he almost fell off his perch. I’m sure her persistent screaming added to the effect.
But she pulled up in time for her to be safe, which allowed him to regain his balance on the fence. I didn’t clip her wing in the original image but I lost the tip of her left wing when I leveled the photo (based on the vertical fence post, the bridge is sloped as I presented it).
Attack #8 – 2 photos.
This is the last attack I photographed.
After she passed by, he decided he’d had enough of this nonsense and took off to the south.
I never saw him again but the next morning (yesterday) this same female kestrel and her mate put in quite a show for me by “playing” with a large flock of Black-billed Magpies for almost half an hour.
But those photos will have to wait for a few days. At this point I’ve only had time to barely look at them and besides, 17 photos in this post are more than enough.
Ron
I’m a bit slow seeing these! WOW!!! The fight shots are amazing. Such persistence.
What a great series, really awesome. Your photos make me feel like I’ve been out there birding. As you have said, it’s really the behaviors that are so priceless to see. The beauty and technical prowess…well, they’re the icing on the cake.
I like a strong woman! Never underestimate the power of a lady.
I love these action plays.
Take Care,
Kaye
Thanks, Kaye.
Great work capturing this series. Loved every minute of it!
” Loved every minute of it!”
Good. Thanks, Sam.
You did a great job of capturing the attacks! Awesome photos! So glad you are back!
Thank you, Jo.
Poor little Red Tail — he’s just a baby. Maybe if he clacked like very young horses do, Mrs. K.’s mothering instincts might engage. Of course, mama kestrels may be just as feisty with their own young, so the Red Tail did the right thing by getting the hell out of Dodge. Hope he figures out the whole hunting situation soon.
Take your time with the magpie culling and processing. We’ll be here when you post. 😃
“Take your time with the magpie culling and processing.”
Thanks, Marty – I plan to. After processing 17 photos for one post, I need a break.
I believe she was well within her rights to attack him. INTERLOPER!!! TAKER OF PREY!
I keeeeel youuuu
I’m sure that’s exactly how she felt, Arwen.
WOW! That young hawk is sure having to learn a lot fast – how to hunt and watch out for kestrels! I hope he got a meal at some point that day – he’d sure need some fuel after dealing with Madame!
The detail of his open mouth in attack #8, 1st photo is amazing.
Looking forward to kestrel/magpie interaction. I had laughable dove/magpie sortie here in my backyard the other day – I’m guessing the kestrels were a bit more fierce.
” I hope he got a meal at some point that day.”
I hope so too, Carolyn. In all the time I’ve spent with him, on at least three different mornings, I’ve never seen him catch anything.
What a series—the only thing missing is the audio! I hate to admit that I was 😂 the whole time I was scrolling…that poor hawk just couldn’t get a break and Madame Kestrel was not giving an inch. As someone I follow on social media recently posted (with a pic of Madame giving side-eye), “Kestrels never have time for any BS.” I imagine the RT will think twice before returning to that territory. Looking forward to Kestrel v. Magpie, but give your back a rest first, please! ❤️
“I imagine the RT will think twice before returning to that territory.”
You may be right about that, Chris. I found the red-tail again this morning but this time he was on a different pole about a quarter mile to the south of where the kestrels hang out. I couldn’t photograph him there so I kept waiting for him to return to the kestrel’s territory but he never did.
Very fun to watch, I would forget to press the shutter button! Thanks for sharing the exciting experience.
Thanks, April. I never forgot to push it but sometimes I was WAY too slow pushing it for that little lady.
What a great series! The contortions the Red-tailed went through, and “his” facial expressions, were just priceless. Thanks for sharing those.
Glad you enjoyed them, Quentin. Thanks.
Great capture of these behaviors. What a fierce creature, the Kestrel. Thank you as always.
Thanks, Kathryn.
Very cool that you were there to witness the “exchange”! She is the epitome of feisty, I’d say!
“She is the epitome of feisty, I’d say!”
I’d say so too, Barbara.
Outstanding action photography Ron. Those little Kestrels are
fearless. I have noticed over the years of birding that many are very territorial. One of the most aggressive in driving others from their territory is the female Northern Harrier.
We smaller humans do not attack our larger brothers unless maybe we are experts in martial arts etc.
Thanks, Everett. Not many birds are more fearless, or aggressive, than kestrels.
Great series Ron and always good to see your posts.
Ken
Thank you, Ken.
WOW! Quite the show! Can’t wait for the Kestrel vs. Magpies! 😉
Thanks, Judy.
Exciting stuff. I never thought about birds of about the same size attacking each other – but apparently – they do. You do so well at catching all of the interesting points.
Glad to see you are still willing to share what you love – in spite of your back.
Thanks, Judy. Actually, red-tails are many times larger than kestrels. 2.4 lbs. versus 4 oz. by weight.
My back is becoming more of a challenge. I don’t know what the future holds in that regard.
These photos really made my morning. Love the photos of the hawk’s reactions. I’m kind of surprised he held out as long as he did before getting the heck out of there. Thanks for posting.
“I’m kind of surprised he held out as long as he did before getting the heck out of there.”
Bill, he held out for longer than you might think. She was attacking him for quite a while before I get my lens on them and after I did there were quite a few attacks that I didn’t get any photos of. Sometimes she was just too fast and sneaky for me.
I guess he was a glutton for punishment. And she sure wasn’t reluctant to dish it out.
Thank you! Two of my favorite birds in one post. I enjoyed that; incredible photos and the blow-by-blow narrative.
The agility, speed, tenacity, and courage of birds like Kestrels and Hummingbirds pokes holes in the old saw that ‘size matters’. You just gotta love em.
Looking forward to the photos of the Kestrel/Black-billed Magpie encounter!
“Looking forward to the photos of the Kestrel/Black-billed Magpie encounter!”
Michael, from my first brief preview of those photos I know that many of them are far from technically perfect and the setting leaves a lot to be desired but the behavior was pretty neat. And I like one of them a lot!
Wow Ron, what an exciting sequence. Although probably not for the Red-tailed Hawk. Thanks for sharing your photos and your play-by-play. It made my day.
” It made my day.”
Good. Thanks, Mark.
Wow! What an exciting progression of attacks! and what a stubborn Red-tailed Hawk!
Thank you for sharing, and for the great commentary
So nice to see your posts in my inbox again! Great documentary photos. Thank you!
What an experience, and what great photos! I’ve seen such an encounter only once, when a Northern Mockingbird decided to take on a Crested Caracara that was sunning atop a telephone pole. Like this hawk, the Caracara eventually decided “Enough, already” and took off, while the mockingbird settled in on a nearby line and started to sing. I suspect your kestrel felt equally satisfied with the effect of her efforts!
Thanks, Shoreacres. I suspect she was pretty proud of herself. Deservedly.