St. Nicholas Park Kestrel

Riverside Dad

The apparently unbanded male choosing a very appropriate ambush point. Phew!

Close Hawks

Caught up with the Cathedral youngsters as they cavorted in the Close. The symbolism was impossible to ignore. Some video of them chasing squirrels. Pure awesomeness!

Morningside Kestrel Fledges

In the month of May finding kestrels is usually next to impossible. That changes when the young fledge and young kestrels can be found a variety of ways. The first is that the protective parents will attack any raptor in the area. I also listen for the tried and true method of "what are the robins piping at?" This works in the early fledge period, but as the youngsters become better at flying, they will chase down any robin that makes an alarm. The way to find them now and until they move off in the fall, is in the early morning or late evening when its feeding time. The young will beg incessantly and given a little patience, they can be seen hiding in the upper stories of trees. Getting good shots of the hyperactive falcons is next to impossible as they dart through the foliage. I found the young female begging at the scrape. Here's the young male in various trees.