![\"american](\"http:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/american-kestrel-5399.jpg\" "\\"american")
<\/a><\/p>\n\u00a02000, f\/7.1, ISO 400, 500 f\/4, 1.4 tc<\/em><\/p>\n In this image the background is snow and there had been a blizzard the day before which had stacked snow up on one side of the perch.\u00a0 This was one of the first times I’d ever been close enough to a kestrel to get a frame-filling image and I well remember having a case of “buck fever” while photographing him at such close range.\u00a0 Also a bit unusual was the fact that I was actually looking slightly down at him – something\u00a0that doesn’t happen often with kestrels.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a01600, f\/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f\/4, 1.4 tc<\/em><\/p>\n This shot illustrates well what you get when the atmosphere is so laden with moisture when it’s very cold – fog, low but even\u00a0light, some reduction in detail and sometimes very interesting perches from all the hoar-frost those conditions produce.\u00a0 I liked the sort of lopsided, off-kilter\u00a0pose this kestrel gave me.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a01000, f\/10, ISO 400, 500 f\/4, 1.4 tc<\/em><\/p>\n Occasionally there’s no snow on the ground but the heavy frost from the night before can add some interesting touches to an image.\u00a0 Here, frost can be seen on the post and on some of the out of focus background vegetation.\u00a0 This photo illustrates an interesting adaptation of kestrels\u00a0to the cold – in my experience kestrels usually reject the tail of their vole prey.\u00a0 But I’ve seen them eat the tail several times and in each case it was bitterly cold.\u00a0 It’s my working theory that their very high demand for warming food in winter causes them to consume every bit of protein they possibly can.\u00a0\u00a0 And it’s a real struggle to swallow the tail.\u00a0 This bird had mostly swallowed the tail once (with only the tip of it sticking out of its beak) but then had to cough it up and start over.\u00a0 The second time he did get it down – and keep it down.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a01000, f\/8, ISO 500, 500 f\/4, 1.4 tc<\/em><\/p>\n I’ve always liked this shot for several reasons.\u00a0 I\u00a0enjoy the snow\/frost on the perch and the soft lighting.\u00a0 There’s also some things going on here that may not be apparent at first glance.\u00a0 The kestrel is undecided about sticking around with me as close as I am, as you can see by the slightly raised position of the left wing (in anticipation of taking off\u00a0 which it did not do) and the tentative way he is holding the vole with it hanging down on the back side of the perch.\u00a0\u00a0 And you’ll notice that the vole is still alive with eyes open and I even got a catch light in its left eye.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a03200, f\/7.1, ISO 400, 500 f\/4, 1.4 tc<\/em><\/p>\n This is another\u00a0example of the hoar-frost adding interesting components to an image.\u00a0 At times the frost can be so thick on virtually everything in the area\u00a0that almost anything the bird might choose to land on would\u00a0be transformed to an interesting perch.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a01600, f\/8, ISO 500, 500 f\/4, 1.4 tc<\/em><\/p>\n Just recently I\u00a0found this cooperative male nestled down in the snow on top of some rabbitbrush.\u00a0 While it’s a less traditional rear view of the bird I liked the colors and the snowy perch.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n