From All About Birds: North America’s littlest falcon, the American Kestrel packs a predator’s fierce intensity into its small body. It's one of the most colorful of all raptors: the male’s slate-blue head and wings contrast elegantly with his rusty-red back and tail; the female has the same warm reddish on her wings, back, and tail. Hunting for insects and other small prey in open territory, kestrels perch on wires or poles, or hover facing into the wind, flapping and adjusting their long tails to stay in place. Kestrels are declining in parts of their range; you can help them by putting up nest boxes.
These shots were made about 1pm today about four miles west of Hermosa on Hwy 40.
After the one on the post (above) took off, I shot all of the following images in succession as the kestrel hovered in the wind. Since the background was so great, I had no problem combining seven exposures into two for the following special effects images.
3 comments:
I've seen kestrels fairly up close. Okay, with a spotting scope. They sure are pretty. One of my favorite birds.
Thanks for the photos too.
Nice work Bob.
Black Hills Raptor Center, of which I am a board member, has a kestrel so I have seen one up close. They are indeed beautiful.
Good shootin' Bob.
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