![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/american-kestrel-3762-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"american-kestrel-3762-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nThis handsome male is a confirmed creature of habit, just like me.<\/p>\n
Readers may remember the stretching male American Kestrel I photographed on December 3 near the Bear River. Two days later, on December 5, I photographed him in the same tree, stretching again. I posted photos to my blog of him stretching that were taken on both days.<\/p>\n
Well, guess what.<\/p>\n
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1\/4000, f\/6.3, ISO 400, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n Three days after that, on December 8, I found him once again in the same tree and on the same branch at almost exactly the same time of day. Stretching.<\/p>\n I thought I was a world class creature of habit but I’m a rank amateur compared to this guy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/5000, f\/6.3, ISO 400, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n But this time, after his stretching routine, he perked up and began hunting from the same perch. It was obvious that he was hunting because he was clearly scanning the vegetation below him for prey. I figured that if he dived steeply down for prey I wouldn’t get photos with a good look at his face or a catch light in his eye but I still wanted the shots for the good look I might get of the beautiful dorsal colors and markings of a male kestrel in flight.<\/p>\n So I tried to prepare myself for the explosive takeoff of a kestrel after prey – you know, appropriate camera settings, finger on the half-depressed shutter button, enough room in the frame in the direction he was likely to take off and above all, paying strict attention – stuff like that.<\/p>\n And then I waited, for what seemed like forever.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/4000, f\/6.3, ISO 250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n When he spotted potential prey below him he took off after it like a shot.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/4000, f\/6.3, ISO 250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n The beginning of the power dive.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/4000, f\/6.3, ISO 250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n I actually kept him in frame for three flight shots but just barely, which is why this last photo has a funky composition – his head was nearly at the frame edge. At least I didn’t clip or cut off any body parts.<\/p>\n As far as I could tell he didn’t catch whatever he was after.<\/p>\n Yeah, I wish I had a better look at his face and light in his eye but I was still happy to get the photos, if for no other reason than keeping him in frame and getting him reasonably sharp for three flight shots. To some degree I consider that a success in its own right.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This handsome male is a confirmed creature of habit, just like me.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/american-kestrel-3842-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"american-kestrel-3842-ron-dudley\\"")
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