A wing and tail stretch followed by an enthusiastic yawn.
These are older photos I took several years ago of a male American Kestrel during a trip to Bear River MBR. I’ve posted other photos of him in the past but these two are new to my blog.
1/4000, f/6.3, ISO 320, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
As I approached him in my pickup he was wary of me (kestrels nearly always are) but he didn’t fly off and he soon settled down and became much more relaxed. Eventually he performed this leisurely and photogenic wing and tail stretch. The setting is busy and I wasn’t particularly close but I had good light on him and this is a pose I don’t get very often from kestrels.
1/5000, f/6.3, ISO 320, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
For a while I thought he might go to sleep on me but this enthusiastic yawn was about as close as he came. Eventually he took off to harass a Rough-legged Hawk perched on a nearby fence post but I missed the takeoff shots.
I actually photographed this same male kestrel in nearly the same spot in this same tree on three consecutive trips to Bear River MBR within eight days. I became so accustomed to seeing him there, nearly two years later I still look for him every time I drive past the tree.
Ron
Note: Apologies for not posting to my blog for the last three days. Inclement weather and a scarcity of birds have put me in a tailspin, from which I hope to recover later this week when our weather is supposed to improve.
Super shots,thanks for sharing!
Charlotte Norton
Thanks, Charlotte.
Your Kestrel is an adult male which seems to be displaying a semi full crop. The second photo may be showing rather than a yawn, a stretch movement of the mandible and neck which is done to help move food from the crop to lower down in the digestive system.
Could be, William. It looked like a pretty typical yawn to me but I wouldn’t rule your suggestion out.
Such a biiiiiiiig yawn! (Cue me stifling another one as I wrote that — already have yawned with each glance at that shot. 🤭) Kestrels are such feisty little falcons. Diane’s “David and Goliath” comparison is spot on, although the biblical David certainly had his — ahem — issues.
I had the privilege once of getting up close to two non-releasable education Kestrels (one male and one female). They are even more beautiful in person!
Hope your trip through the archives brought you some pleasure, Ron. I know you’d rather be out among ’em. 💜
“although the biblical David certainly had his — ahem — issues.”
I guess I should brush up on my Bible stories, Marty. I can’t remember what his issues were. I actually have a Bible around her, somewhere. Last time I cracked it open was maybe 10 years ago when I was sparring with my very religious brother-in-law.
Love that surreptitious “side-eye” look Mr. K is giving you in the first image, and I’d swear he’s calling out to you (yodeling?) instead of yawning in the second. Sorry your weather and birds have turned on you but with luck your luck will soon change. In the meantime, we do enjoy the oldies but goodies. 😎
I hope you’re right about my luck, Chris. I’ve been pretty discouraged lately.
I love these little beauties. I hadn’t seen any all summer, but two days ago one has started perching on the pole across the street. Thank you for the photos. I see much more from them than I do with my binocs!
The colors and markings are so beautiful – all the stripes in the stretch photo, and the symmetrical spots falling down the chest in the 2nd. And the purple/blue in the mouth – wow. All of that in 115 grams (equivalent to 2 and 1/2 of my little hamsters!) Love Michael’s story of his Angel.
I’m reading Ivan Doig’s “Last Bus to Wisdom” which starts out in the Cut Bank/Browning area of Montana in 1951. I have your family farm photos and Judy’s descriptions in my mind – wonderful!
Carolyn, I have several of Doig’s books, but I don’t think I have that one. I’ll have to remedy that. In 1951 I was four years old and living on the farm 17 miles northwest of Cut Bank. In winter we lived in Santa Rita, a tiny burg 5 miles north of CB.
I have been seeing more kestrels along Forest street this year. Sadly few at Farmington Bay. We used to have many kestrels and shrikes in our neighborhood. I have not seen any for more years than I can recall. I don’t know if it is due to habitat change, the city cut down all the old mature trees in the gully and many trees in parking strips, or with the increase in Cooper’s hawks the kestrels felt threatened. We also now have cavity nest raiding eastern fox squirrels.
April, the squirrels in my neighborhood seem to be becoming more active again. I saw several yesterday, including one who was scolding me from a tree while I was beginning to clean up the garden.
Love that yawn – which has triggered one in me.
Lovely to see a post from you and hope the weather and the dearth of birds lifts.
Yawns are contagious, aren’t they, EC.
I love the tail and wing stretch – very nice to get a different look at these beautiful birds. Thanks for taking the time and effort to dig these up.
Thank you, Bill.
Love the yawn – and am still smiling from your Ferruginous Hawk saying ‘ahhh’ pic. Priceless!
Thanks, Kathleen. These days, smiles that last a long time are priceless.
Love those Kestrels. Not with the R5 ???? We here who work on the Kestrel restoration always laugh talking about how cute these guys and gals look, but the reality is that they are vicious little killers. 🙂
“Not with the R5 ?”
Everett, these photos were taken nearly two years ago, before I purchased my R5.
“Eventually he took off to harass a Rough-legged Hawk” tells us everything we need to know about the Kestrel: a 115 gram bird harassing a 1060 gram bird. Poor Goliath. David is a fiesty little Falcon. Looking at these images makes me feel like I was in the passenger seat, looking over your shoulder as you took them. Thanks, Ron.
“Poor Goliath.”
That’s for sure, Diane.
David harassed Goliath for so long while he was perched, Goliath eventually took off. But that only inspired David to up his harassing game while Goliath was making his getaway. I sure wish they’d been closer while they were duking it out in flight.
Beautiful and fun! No, they don’t often “cooperate” that way…… 🙂 Do NOT envy you having to sort through so many older photos on older computers!
Mild and windy (of course) for the moment here…….
Thanks, Judy. If it’s windy where you are I imagine the wind is howling in Cut Bank.
I never thought that an elegant kestrel could elicit a belly laugh
from me, but that big yawn really did it ! I’m so glad that you have
a huge trove of treasures to turn to in bad weather and down
times ! You’ve salted away those comforts over such a long span
of dedicated work and now you can enjoy them……..
“I’m so glad that you have a huge trove of treasures”
Kris, the trick is in finding those treasures. My photos are distributed over five different computers, some of them clunky and old so they’re difficult and time consuming to search.
Remarkable photos. I really like the spreading of the tail feathers.
Thank you,
Kaye
Thank you, Kaye.
I Love these little falcons.
An adult trapped female American Kestrel was my first bird when I started falconry (some 40 years ago). Her name was Angel. Could never get her to hunt, but she would soar back and forth along some nearby bluffs riding the updrafts. She did teach me a lot. Some months later (as it was the custom of my sponsor) I released her back to the wild fit as a fiddle.
You never forget your first. Your photos put a big smile on my face this morning, and made my eyes water a bit.
I flew a number of birds over the ensuing 7 years. Have not had a raptor on my fist in decades now. I am forever grateful for those times and for what they taught me.
Michael, your affection for Angel, and for falconry, is almost palpable. I know several falconers and folks who used to be falconers who feel the same way.
Glad to have you back! Love the enthusiastic yawn.
Thanks, Brett.
I wouldn’t care if that first photo was a decade old. It’s remarkable, and so appealing. I rarely see a Kestrel, and when I do, they’re just sitting around on a branch. This is splendid.
Good to know you like it that much, Shoreacres. Thank you.