![\"american](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/american-kestrel-8015-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWeather like we’re having now is difficult for our avian winter residents and that includes American Kestrels. Salt Lake City received more snow yesterday than we did last year during the months of November, December, January and February combined. And this storm isn’t over yet.<\/p>\n
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1\/1600, f\/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS\u00a0USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n Conditions right now are similar to what we had exactly two years ago today when I photographed this female kestrel at Farmington Bay MBR. There was lots of snow on the ground and it was very cold so as\u00a0this lovely lady perched on an old rusty piece of metal she was fluffed up to extreme in an effort to keep warm. I’ve posted other images of her in the past and the similar colors of bird and perch always make me think of the title “Rust on Rust”.<\/p>\n She hung around the same area of the refuge for weeks and most of the time she was hunting voles to survive. But\u00a0finding voles in all that snow wasn’t easy\u00a0and\u00a0one time\u00a0she showed some flexibility in her diet…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/1600, f\/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS\u00a0USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n when I found her on another nearby piece of rusty metal with a small bird as prey (this image was taken a week prior to the previous one). I believe the prey item may have been an American Pipit. At one point during the meal she dropped the bird into the deep, fluffy snow below but with some difficulty she was able to retrieve it and finish her meal. I was impressed with her tenacity. Incredibly loud (and annoying) airboats launching into the water just a short distance from this spot wouldn’t even phase her.<\/p>\n I love photographing birds in the snow but I wasn’t able to get out during yesterday’s storm because the roads and\u00a0traffic were a nightmare. I’m hoping for better luck today.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Weather like we’re having now is difficult for our avian winter residents and that includes American Kestrels.<\/p>\n![\"american](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/american-kestrel-6397-ron-dudley.jpg\")
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