kestrel.

Kestrel resting on telegraph pole.

Same bird, same place, different day

The Kestrel was working the field and catching mostly crickets.

This Kestrel was eating its prey but had to remove pieces of fur from its beak by shaking its head from side to side. Due to the weather and slow shutter speed this was the effect. It has made a different photo and talking point, I like,it but what are your views on this one please.

A photo I have always dreamed of capturing.

The title says it all, atrocious weather but my patience paid off. Having watched this Kestrel for some time now and how it worked with its hunting I made a plan to get closer. It worked, what a day, hours of waiting but the photos I managed to get made it all worthwhile. This is the first one...

Still hunting more like a Sparrow Hawk or Peregrine than a Kestrel. Making more than six attacks on the feeder this afternoon and even attacked a Magpie forcing it to drop whatever it was carrying. It did finally make a successful run catching a bird in flight. Amazing behavior from this Kestrel.

Oops, sorry about the title KC.

KC I do not want to kill you with my Kestrel shots but here are some more from today.

Believe me when I say this is not an easy photo to acquire. When your using 1,000mm lens in total and the Kestrel drops from blue sky to grassland it is very hard to track. In addition to that you have to account for the now difference in speed of the shutter from 1/8000 to 1/2500 sec. due to...

Caught this shot as the Kestrel was flying upwards from the ground to a higher perch.

It has been relatively quiet over the last few weeks but today it all happened at once. With visits from the Sparrow Hawk and then an Ariel display by this Kestrel I was firing both cameras at once. The Sparrow Hawk was so close at one point I was unable to focus, some nice close ups to follow.

I am so pleased with this photo under the circumstances in which it was taken. Thunder storm and downpour of rain to start with and hand held with a heavy lump of camera and lens. This young Kestrel, one of four, was now high in the oak tree canopy of leaves eating a vole or mouse left by the...

These Kestrel always appear late on in the day when it is the most difficult to get a decent photo. The wind today was from the west where the sun was going down and the birds were facing into the sun in front of me. This female Kestrel did the same thing and the shots were not good, then my...

One from today, this male Kestrel in hover mode. Range 50 meters.

This pair of Kestrel have been flying around for most of the morning catching the crickets in the grass. To get them both together with one in flight was a bonus.

This is following on from my previous photos of this Kestrel hunting. It is the same camera lens set up but this photo was at a greater distance, 80 meters. I am very surprised and pleased, I do not normally use the 2x converter on this lens or for flight shots. You live and learn.

I am very pleased with this particular photo of the Kestrel in flight. 1DX 500f4 mkii and 2X converter mkiii hand held shot at f8 range 45 meters. Don't forget that with this combination only the center focus point is in use, I have converted case 1 to my own settings for this type of shot and...

I managed to capture this photo this morning to make a comparison with the one from yesterday which was taken with the 7d2 and 1.4 on 500f4 lens. This was with the same lens but with the 1dx and 2x converter. Although slightly less reach and the Kestrel was at a greater distance I think the...

Very low flight across the meadow with the male bird circling above.