American Kestrel

I stepped outside this morning to get some bird shots. I got more than I bargained for, 'cause I expected maybe a lucky blue jay shot or some house finches. What I got was neither.

When I first saw this guy he was flying from this antenna, and making a round trip right back to it. He is a smallish bird, about the size of a robin, but didn't fly like one. Also a little different was his white underside he displayed when he was on the wing - kind of like a turtle dove. I have a "thing" for raptors, and it struck me that it could be a small owl or hawk. It was really too far away for me to tell. This is what caught my attention - an American Kestrel, one of the hawk family. It's the first I've captured on "film" in the wild. (These are 100% crops.)


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