I live in Valencia, Spain and where I walk my dog there is what appears a young kestrel. I've seen s/he hover but mainly perch and glide hunting. This sounds daft but I think this kestrel recognises me. I usually make a repeat whistle when I see them and speak to them softly. Some days of course, they are nowhere to be found.
The first time I started to think this bird is habituating to me was when it glidedpast me iinto a tree (the one in photos) I was standing close to...but perhaps coindence...
Anyway, I have been in the UK for a few days and today when I walked the dog...no kestrel...not unusual. Bit disappointed I headed home. I am then in a completely different piece of wild land (campo - 5 minutes walk away) much closer to home/town and out of nowhere the kestrel appears. Flies right towards me and perches on a pylon beside me. I get to get my field glasses out to check, whistle and speak to her/him. They were clearly checking me out, before flying onto another pylon heading back in the direction of their normal fields on edge of village.
So questions:
1. am I delusional or can wild falcons build a 'relationship' with humans? I would swear this bird is acting socially towards me - at a distance of course - but that's twice it's flown directly into my space.
2. when do young kestrels show the change in plummage brown or grey head? This one is brown but is very confident and I'm not sure if there is a gender bias for 'boldness' or if this trait tends to be familial.
3. what is the average hunting range for a kestrel? Do they tend to stay in one area or move?
4. Do kestrels share hunting ground? There is another bird but I think it may be a buzzard in the same area...is this possible? This other bird, seems much more 'grumpy' and less interested in me.
5. I know with birds of prey in captivity they are put in seclusion for a big moult, how does this work for wild birds? Does it happen over time? I found a lot of primary and secondary feathers. At first I thought it was a predator had caught a falcon/hawk - now I wonder if it was a moult? Can you pass on some links about this?
6. I've attached some photos of the feathers, some of the bird sitting on a tree anda couple of them in flight. Is this a kestrel? Sorry the photos aren't great - only on camera phone at a distance.
Many thanks for any info for a total novice
Smiles
A
Further to my above post, today it appears that they are two kestrels. As I walked out I was greeted by the more social of the two as it eyed me from a tree on the path. I then spotted the other on the top of a pylon - appears to be preferred look-out. As I watched the second, she took off and glided on the thermals doing massive loops. Then she was joined by the other and then 'danced' for awhile - with one going into a hover to hunt and the other plummeting like a stone - was truly awe inspiring. Walking past the tree, the social bird had once again taken up position and quite happily preened herself as I watched her, having a bit of a tail wag and fluffing feathers. Great start to day
Ok further to my posts today went really weird ....
I live in a flat. 3rd floor. Tiny vernadah with a metal fence. I'm about 1km from where I watched her hunting. So this morning, I'm in bed and I hear a kestrel calling really close. So I jump out of bed, imagining it is on a nearby building. Before I fully realise what is happening, I open the verandah door, only to realise the kestrel is sitting right there. On the fence outside the bedroom. It takes off. I moved too fast and I think both of us were equally shocked.
I think the kestrel followed me home.
Now my partner said, 'oh maybe it was another kestrel'.
To which I replied 'have you ever had a kestrel land on your tiny verandah before?'
'No.'
'And you think it's only coincedence that I'm watching kestrels and there's a kestrel outside the bedroom calling?'
So is this normal kestrel behaviour? How the hell would it find me anyway? I know they can see UV light, does human sweat 'glow'? Would it see my dog's trails? Even if it watched me going in the building, how the heck did it know I was on the 3rd floor? Can kestrels identify humans? Do wild kestrels bond with humans or at very least take an interest in us? What exactly is the visual acuity of a kestrel - could it tell it was me in the room lying on the bed?
Don't get me wrong, it's wonderful. It was somewhat miraculous and a complete honour, but I've been left with so many questions....
maybe should move this to a blog. Today both Alicia (fmale) and Freddie (confirmed male - grey head) were on the thermals. They were half-hunting. Both seem to prefer sitting on a pylon or wire to hunt for small game and occassionally do big circles to go over wider ground from height.
I found my old binoculars which did wonders for being able to confirm Freddie was male - although he was AWOL for a few days and I was impatient. But yes, little guy, grey head.
I then got my old camera out and had to try and work out how to use it again. The lense isn't powerful enough - looking at some of the photos on here I feel quite downcast. But hey ho. Alicia was posing for me and actually seemed very interested in what I was up to. She was literally righ tabove me for 15 minutes, so with a better lense the shots will be amazing. anyway for what they are worth, see attached.
so further to yesterday's photots. Today Alicia did her pre-emptive strike and having met me at the far away field, getting hassled by a magpie, she flew off over the houses. She met me at the edge of the town near where I live. managed to get another shot of her watching my progress from a pylon. Also caught some cranes - by accident - didn't know what they were till I zoomed into the shot at home. I usually see them flying over head in ones or twos but this was a tribe...
I can't comment on the behaviour of your Kestrels because I simply have no knowledge on the subject. However I did want to comment on this.
annedy said:Also caught some cranes - by accident - didn't know what they were till I zoomed into the shot at home. I usually see them flying over head in ones or twos but this was a tribe...
Your "cranes" look to me like herons. Note how the neck is cranked. Cranes fly with their necks extended straight out in front like this.
Unusual to see herons flying in formation like that. Grey Herons are sedentary in the UK and I'm assuming it's similar in Spain. I'm wondering if they might be Purple Herons which although they breed in the Valencia area are migratory. I believe that some may overwinter but most migrate to Africa. Just a thought.
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Tony
My Flickr Photostream
Hi Tony thanks for this - yes heron! I actually had it on my bird list as grey heron - but yeah, total newbie so category names are still a bit of a hit or a miss...
The first one I saw was a few weeks ago on the over side of a fence, landing into what look like reeds (possibly a pond I thought). It just suddenly appeared and all I saw was yellow legs and big wings as it came into land. It was totally unexpected and I assumed it was a one-off.
Then I started seeing 1 flying overhead, I assumed it was the same bird and that maybe it lived in the area. Then groups of 2 and 3 over last 10 days, so I thought ok some sort of migration is happening but today was a total surprise. I looked up and saw this big V. I actually thought geese - full disclosure my distance/size perception is still rubbish lol. I just pointed and clicked.
I just goggled grey herons in Spain and it seems that the Eastern coast grey herons do migrate a bit. North of me is a wetland called Albufera. Apparently their heron colony is pretty mobile with ringed individuals being found in Western Spain, Senegal (1), Morocco (1) and 1 in Poland. The authors hypothesis that the Eastern Spanish herons are actually from more northern areas of Europe - probably liked the sun and decided to stay put. The herons I've seen have been heading SW which would fit. https://www.ardeola.org/uploads/articles/docs/1343.pdf
Thank you for piquing my interest
I've been watching a pair nest in a tree for 4 years although this year they either didn't bother or found a new nest. The ones in my local valley are accustomed to walkers so generally you can be relatively close, especially if they are nesting on farmland. I think they tend to hunt over maybe two to three fields and I have seen them, like you, with buzzards close by. On the other hand the kestrels up on the moors have a far wider hunting ground and are a lot less used to people so really do keep their distance. They are amazing birds, my favourite animal. Watching how they nest and bring up the chicks is fascinating. Very clever in how they drop out of the tree vertically to just above ground height to fly off unnoticed and not bring undue attention to the chicks. I've seen squirrels try their luck but from nowhere a parent will be there in a flash to see them off.
The chicks last year when they successfully fledged four.
these are amazing! What type of lense do you use? The prices I've seen are a bitty large but I might save up if you can get this beautiful detail. They are stunning birds!
Today Alicia and Freddy had a bit of a domestic in front of me - oh for more phtotography skill! Even so, see below
100-500 on the R5. Use it for all my photos as I can't afford another lens
Hi, I can't answer most of your questions however the feathers in the pictures almost certainly belonged to a feral pigeon, possibly caught by a bird of prey or other predator. As for the question about moulting, I believe birds of prey generally moult flight feathers one at a time (or two at a time, usually the same one off of each wing) so they are still able to fly and catch their food. I'm not an expert however, this is just from my own knowledge as someone who loves birds