Kestrels

Thanks everyone! I was very pleased to see this let alone capture it!

John - they sat together for over 5 mins and seemed quite at ease with one another which is why I wondered about them being siblings? The female eventually flew off to hunt and the male stayed for a long time! He then went down and caught a vole we think, which he took back up to the branch to eat (got pics but too dark...). Then he went down to the ground again, but I couldn't see what he had!

He then flew back up and stayed perched again for a long time! Never had such good sightings of kestrels!!

Nisus - yes that's Jim Almond's site! Absolutely superb photos he takes!! He was there Sunday so no doubt he will soon post pics which will be far superior to mine!! Lol!!

Marjus, I just had to congratulate you on capturing that photograph of the TWO kestrels. I am so jealous.

Thank you Brenda! :-)

I think you must be right, family is the most likely! but what a great shot. Your friend at  the pool will do well to beat that. there is a real soft quality about it, It is BRILLIANT. I am still green all over!

John :-)

That's a brilliant photograph of the two kestrals Marjus.  A fantastic close-up.

Paul

Thank you John, thank you Paul!

Been trying to learn more about the kestrel but can't find much info about their breeding habits! The female and juveniles look the same apparently, so I don't know yet if it's likely to be a 'pair', siblings, or father and juvenile?? Anyone know more about their 'habits'?? I'm just curious!

By the way, I saw 2 kestrels fly by when I arrived in the car park Tuesday morning, but couldn't see if it was male and female/juvenile again!

Thanks

Looking again Marjus, I think Juvenile is more likely as the shadowing below the eye is very light and the black tip to the beak is the same.

I don't know as much as I'd like about breeding habits! but I was interested and quite surprised to learn that they can see ultra violet and use this when hunting as their prey leave a trail of urine thats shows up as very bright green and glowing to them. Apparently the fresher the pee pee the brighter the colour. As their prey are continually 'going" its a bit of a give away to the route they have taken! You probably saw the same program, I just thought it was pretty cool!

John :-)

Hi MarJus

Love your pictures of your Kestrels - really nice composure

John: very interesting facts about Kestrals seeing Ultra Violet light {smile}

Regards

Kathy and Dave

Unknown said:

Looking again Marjus, I think Juvenile is more likely as the shadowing below the eye is very light and the black tip to the beak is the same.

I don't know as much as I'd like about breeding habits! but I was interested and quite surprised to learn that they can see ultra violet and use this when hunting as their prey leave a trail of urine thats shows up as very bright green and glowing to them. Apparently the fresher the pee pee the brighter the colour. As their prey are continually 'going" its a bit of a give away to the route they have taken! You probably saw the same program, I just thought it was pretty cool!

John :-)

John, thank you so much for that excelllent snippet of information. I am glad to say, I keep on learning.