Tale of a Kestrel and a Red-Tailed Hawk

[Loupey]

Since my little songbirds have all migrated south and the world has turned bleak and bare (I'm talking about the natural world and not the economic one), I went looking for raptors this morning.

Right away, I was lucky enough to witness two successful hunts by two different raptors within a 15~20 minute period. Usually, the hunt is too far away to shoot and/or the hunt is unsuccessful.

Both attacks were still too far for good shots, but I was happy just to watch it and have the camera along for the show.

The kestrel series is a same-sequence attack on a vole. After catching it, he took it to a small tree in line with the direction he was already flying (away from me). He was extremely far away at that point, but I could see through my viewfinder the vole writhing vigorously in pain and desperation for another 10~15 seconds before it went limp. Cool!

As for the red-tailed hawk, I saw him circling and hovering near the ground so I knew it was close to pouncing on a meal. He got his too. He was shot against different portions of the sky so it looks like two completely different days/birds; but I assure you that these two frames were shot about a minute apart.

[alexkhoo82]

Nice series! Enjoyed them~

[OldClicker]

Wonderful! The top view on the second one is great. - TF

[AgingEyes]

Nice shots, Loupey!

[A.M.D.A.]

Excellent series, Loupey!

I especially like #3 - since it shows the vole. It looks quite heavy to be carried by the little kestrel.

[scott-devon]

Very nice series, it must have been interesting to watch. The shot with the vole is great, it shows how small a kestrel is.

[Canon_Bob]

I love the dorsal views of number 2 and number 4! Those kestrels will drive any sane photographer nuts trying to photograph them.

[Dylan8i]

you mean nature photographers are sane to begin with?

[Canon_Bob]

you mean nature photographers are sane to begin with?

Sanitly is a matter of perspective :-)

[Loupey]

Thanks for looking, everyone. Kestrels have always been one of my favorite and frustrating subjects to chase. After nearly 3 years, I still don't have a shot that I'm really happy with. So any opportunity I get is a welcome one for sure.

Canon_Bob - thanks - yeah a dorsal view is fairly uncommon compared to the all too familiar arm-pit-BIF shot

[Pink Dragonfly]

Poor vole But I guess that's nature! Everybody's gotta eat....

That must have been a great experience watching these birds Like Canon Bob, I really enjoyed the dorsal views on 2 and 4. What's the stringy looking stuff tailing off the claws in the last photo?

Pls enlighten me, the ignorant Dane :blush2: , what does BIF stand for?

Mette

[Loupey]

Poor vole But I guess that's nature! Everybody's gotta eat....

That must have been a great experience watching these birds Like Canon Bob, I really enjoyed the dorsal views on 2 and 4. What's the stringy looking stuff tailing off the claws in the last photo?

Pls enlighten me, the ignorant Dane :blush2: , what does BIF stand for?

Mette

Hello, Mette, thanks for asking.

The stringy stuff is prairie grass (little shy of a meter in height) which cover these fields. A red-tailed hawk literally pounces on its prey with tremendous force from straight above. They don't really seem to mind what junk they grasp in the process so long as they have their prey. That was how I knew this one caught its prey the moment it flew up into view out of the grass as I could only see the grass and not the prey itself.

And BIF = Birds In Flight

[Pink Dragonfly]

Thanks for enlightening me

BIF, that's what I thought but wasn't sure....

Mette

[paulnj]

who can complain about those birds?