Incoming!

I took these a while back while my computer was out and have been meaning to post them for some time. American Kestrels are by far the most numerous raptor here in island. We also have decent numbers of Merlin and Red-tailed hawk as well as occasional peregrine and osprey. I really enjoy watching the kestrels though. This is one of about 4 birds (1 pair and 2 others) that inhabit the short distance between where I live and the beach and salt pond where I do a lot of my bird photography. The result is often a sharp stop next to a telephone pole to try and get a better kestrel photo.

This bird, as you can see, posed quite helpfully but earlier that day one of the others was a little more cunning. I had set up the scope and got nicely focussed on a male sat atop a pole and just taken the first picture when I heard a draft and felt a woosh. The screen on my camera which I was looking at went black (as it does temporarily when pictures are taken) and when the picture returned: no kestrel.......

I heard a rustle behind me and looked back to see my bird sat on the floor 3 feet behind me busily killing a small anole. It seems he'd used me as cover and swooped past my ear to take an anole just behind me. Of course my camera was at this time locked into the digiscoping set up so all I could do was watch and smile as he bounced up and down a couple of times before taking off with his prize.