Tuesday morning there were an amazing number of American Kestrels migrating through Sax-Zim Bog (in addition to lingering residents). The Kestrel, America’s smallest falcon, has seen their numbers crash over the years (see Audubon’s American Kestrel Project). Sax-Zim Bog has put up a huge number of kestrel boxes in the farmland which borders the bog. The numbers of kestrels I now see are truly great, and I consider myself lucky.
Normally getting close to a kestrel is very, very difficult. These birds are shy and spook quickly. However, with the sun extremely low in the sky and right behind me just after sunrise I managed to get fantastic close-up views of a Kestrel. It could not see me given the sun. “Life” is good!
Sax-Zim Bog American Kestrel
I love the ‘eyes-in the-back-of-the-head’ that kestrels have. I hardly ever see them, which is a shame. Truly one of America’s most beautiful birds.
Beautiful! That first one is so sweet, looking coy…
Thanks for sharing!
I did not realize they were so small