This is a small, but common, bird of prey. Like many other kestrels it can hover - hence one of its older names "windhover". Its not the only small hawk in Australia that can hover, so this behaviour is not quite the 100% identification it is in other places.
All these images were taken at Point Lonsdale - which is about a two hours drive from my house.
The Australian Kestrel is sometimes called the Nankeen Kestrel, although it is suggested in some books that this is not really a good idea, as the bird does not come from Nanking in China! The word "Nankeen" actually relates to a type of "yellow or pale buff" cloth from Nanking in China. It goes by the binomial name of Falco cenchroides - which I believe means "falcon, somewhat like a kestrel"! There, we have that sorted out!
I think this bird is a female - the head and the back are very similar tones.
So, there we have a bird of prey post.
Now its your turn - click on the link below and off you go. And if you forgot to invite along a new participant last week, you can do it this week - I wont mind!
i like this one's spots. very pretty. ours are very shy. :)
ReplyDeleteVery similar to ours in every regard. Congrats on these shots! They're handsome little raptors!
ReplyDeleteHe is a handsome bird and does look as if he's posing for you! We used to have a visiting kestrel when we lived in Oregon -- always worried me for the songbirds (sometimes when you feed birds, you feel like you're just setting them up).
ReplyDeleteWhat a pretty bird!
ReplyDeleteVery cute bird.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful bird, wonderful images.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos of this cute bird!
ReplyDeleteI don't know that I've ever seen a kestrel. This one is very pretty. It has those amazing eyes common to other birds of prey.
ReplyDeleteNice picture you show of a beautiful australsk Kestrel:) Hanne Bente
ReplyDeleteI've never managed to get a decent shot of these birds of prey.
ReplyDeleteI'm hanging out for my new camera & lens!!
Can I say 'electrifying captures'? Couldn't resist Stewart. :)
ReplyDeleteKidding aside, you got some wonderful shots!
Great shots, Stewart!
ReplyDeleteI love watching Kestrels hunt. They're very efficient.
That's a great name: Windhover!
--Wally
Your little Kestrel is sharp as sharp.
ReplyDeleteAll I know is that female raptors are bigger than male ones.....not a lot of help unless one has a pair side by side and they are 'straight'.
Some like Buzzard have a wee bit of orange around the head side of their beaks they are the ladies. I think kestrel do too.
Not too sure.... I send my pictures to Keith and he tells me!
I like your pictures of the kestrel! I also think it looks quite pretty!
ReplyDeleteLast Summer I also was lucky to take pictures of this one, but I have never put those in my blog.
Thanks Stewart for your comment last week, now I'm back after my surgery!
Greetings Pia
It's pretty!!!! I love birds of prey...they're so crafty and intelligent.
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty!!!! I love birds of prey...they're so crafty and intelligent.
ReplyDeleteLovely picture of soaring kestrel. Doesn't look much different than the one we find in India?
ReplyDeleteGreat photos of the Kestrel and that post looks to be a favorite bird perch.
ReplyDeleteI still have not seen a kestrel! They seem to have a face shape that is so like an owl! Interesting colours!
ReplyDeleteQuite similar to our Kestrel isn't it. Do you ever get back over to England? From Findlay
ReplyDeleteQuite similar to our Kestrel isn't it. Do you ever get back over to England? From Findlay
ReplyDeletethey're a beautiful bird Stewart; great that you could get to see this one
ReplyDeleteIt's a sweeet falcon and does resemble the American kestrel somewhat.
ReplyDeleteHi Stewart...I used to be upset about the birds of prey, until I had a Kestrel family right in my front yard in a big hollow in the tree! I watched them raise those babies all summer long, and I fell in love : )
ReplyDeleteand realized they have to eat to!!
You caught some fine shots..they look close to our's in appearances
Grace
Lovely to see your version of the Kestrel Stewart. Yours looks to have paler cheeks than the UK version.
ReplyDeleteI love your little female Kestrel ... she does look very much like ours though ours has more black on her. How cool that you were able to get these pictures of her ... they aren't easy to capture with a camera.
ReplyDeleteI am leaving for Nebraska for the annual Sandhill Crane Migration. They expect over 500,000 Sandhills to arive between now and April along with 185 other bird species that migrate with them. I sure am hoping that I will get some good pictures ... See you next week. :)
Andrea @ From The Sol
Great shots Stewart, have a nice day.
ReplyDeleteThese are such challenging birds to photograph, but you did well! Yours likes electrical lines and poles the same as ours. I definitely think this is a female. From what I've read, the males have dark blue on the wing feathers and females are all brown on the wings. Thank you so much for hosting this meme!
ReplyDeleteThe Kestrel is a pretty bird of Prey. They do like to hang out on electric poles around here too. Great shots and thanks for hosting! Hope the rest of your week is a good one!
ReplyDeleteWhat a preety bird Stewart!Great shots!I love seeing your pictures!They are so beautiful!Hope you have a wonderful day!
ReplyDeleteDimi..
What a lovely and interesting bird of prey your Kestrel is. Gorgeous shots! -Tammy
ReplyDeleteVery pretty bird!
ReplyDeleteWonderful! Love it's spots!
ReplyDeleteShe's a beauty, Stewart.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful bird, good spotting!
ReplyDeleteSuch nice shots of them. Our kestrels are really shy. Sorting out bird nomenclature as well as native plants is a tricky business with all the recent changes like a lemon scented gum no longer being a gum at all although to all intents and purposes it still looks and behaves just like one.
ReplyDeleteThanks Stewart for the midden clear up.
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ReplyDeleteNice looking birds. It's interesting that they go by more than one name, because in my country many people refer to American kestrels as sparrow hawks - an understandable name given their small size, but a misguided one given the fact that kestrels are falcons, not hawks.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I love it, you did a splendid job on getting some wonderful close images of this beauty, which I am thinking is also a female. Of the Raptors, these Falcons are smaller than Hawks and Owls and others and I think to get any kind of image is marvelous and yours are really good!
ReplyDeleteGreat series!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.
ReplyDeleteSo cute...but I'm sure lethal-looking to some eyes!
ReplyDeleteHe looks too cute to be a bird of prey!
ReplyDeleteThat is a pretty little bird of prey. Love the photos of her on the telephone pole.
ReplyDeleteThe Kestrel is a beautiful bird.
ReplyDeleteI can never capture this little one,you did a great job!thanks for hosting,phyllis in Pa of usa
ReplyDeleteFantastic shots!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous bird.
ReplyDeleteCool captures! I've not seen a kestrel yet and hope to see one for real in the future.
ReplyDeleteShe is absolutely gorgeous, Stewart!
ReplyDeleteKestrels are my favorite bird of prey and your photos really clear - and very nice - enjoyed your photos..
ReplyDeleteWe have Kestrels in my area. We don't get to see them all the time, but they are here. Not big, but VERY fast! Great photos...
ReplyDelete