Back to the Kestrels....

Last year there were 6 Fledglings.. 1 female and 5 males. The first ones out
of the nest were on June 19th. This years Kestrels were about 2 weeks early.
There were 2 females and 2 males. I believe the parents are the same from
last year by their behavior and their favorite perches. This years babies were more independent and learned to fly immediately. They seemed healthier and stronger than the fledglings from last year.

Now that the 4 baby Kestrels are out of the nest
I am watching them in the tree. This is what I
see when I look out the window. If you look
closely you will see the four Fledglings.

The light is often bad...and the leaves prove to
be more of a hindrance than a help

Sometimes I can get a decent shot of one of the Females

Or one of the handsome males

They are very curious and are always waiting on
the next food delivery.

Mom comes flying in and both baby Kestrels
get excited

But only one gets the catch... The female watches
as the male meets mom in the crook of the tree

Wings are flapping and voices are sounding...

But the first one there gets the food

Mom and Dad are seen daily sitting and watching
on top of the building on their respective perches

Notice how this baby is a boy.... blue on the wing
feathers and darker rufous on his back
In both sexes, the head is white with a bluish-grey top.
Both have two narrow, vertical black
facial markings on each side of the head

Often they seem to be conversing with each other

And this pose you have to recognize.... here comes the
food pose!

Mom delivers and the Female baby snatches it from her

The Male on the right has his mouth open, but I bet he
isn't going to get any of this mouse

As the Female turns to run with the food, notice
how she knocks the Male off his feet

She turns her back on him and covers the mouse
with her wings

And even though he tries to look at her, she pays no
attention and continues to eat

She scampers out of the picture and he turns
and looks so sad... or is that a pout?

Only a few seconds later he kicks it off and decides to
preen

Stretching out the wing...

I should call this tree.... "The Feeding Tree" as there is
a lot of that going on all day long.

Can you imagine how tired you would be hunting for

and providing all the food for 4 hungry babies?
While also teaching them to hunt for themselves

They do an excellent job.

To God be the Glory ~~ Great Things He Hath Done

Some Four Legged Friends.....

This time of year the deer aren't threatened

by hunters and come out in the fields where you
can see them. I happened on to these youngsters
playing around ...

Caught the jump, the slap..

and the springing into the air...

It was all in good fun.

I've been dying to see a new fawn...and I did
well. ... sort of. Far away and in low light...

Look close.. the baby is there beside mom

One of my old friends... The Piebald deer

This deer appears to have been hurt or has some kind
of boil on it's shoulder.

Her sister was trying to hide from me.

Kestrels will be back .. They're all out of the nest
now and flying everywhere.

To God be The Glory ~~ Great Things He Hath Done

Feeding Hungry Kestrels in the Nest......

What does this pose of a baby Kestrel signify?
Well the story goes like this:

Hi! I'm one of the girl Kestrels in the nest and we
get hungry quite often and this is the story of
what we do to get fed.

One way would be open our mouth and make a lot of noise

"dad! dad! mom! get some food over here!"

Soon I can hear dad or mom coming and I look up to see who

This time it's dad and he has a juicy mouse for me

He drops it in the hole for me to get..

This pose is usually when I can see food coming and
get very excited and anxious.
Hannibal ,you were right!

Again! It's dad that shows up' He comes in fast and furious

Right on his heels is mom bringing a baby bird

Hokey Geez between the two of them they knock me for a loop

I didn't think they would both show up.. can you help
me out here?

My legs are straight and my feet are down

Oh My Gosh! What a couple of dingy parents, a kid could
get killed by a speeding delivery

Just wait! When I grow up I'm gonna knock them right
off their perch

I'll just take off like a jet plane... you just wait.

In the meantime I'm hungry again... so I have to start
crying

That was quick.... Hi Mom. What do you have this time?

Oh Goody! Another birdie nugget.. mmmmmm

What do you mean it's for my sister? She's napping

Give it to me I'll pass it on to her when she wakes up

Come on Mom I told you I would share..

Hey! Bring that back here.. See! She's up now.

Don't worry Sis, I'll keep calling her

Mom! Get back here!

Sis and I are waiting................

Up on the telephone pole, mom grabs some food for herself.

Feeding hungry babies makes her hungry

Look at the size of that wing... That's some large prey

Next post all four babies are out of the nest and in
the tree.. One male and one female discuss
flying free and what happens next.


To God be The Glory ~~ Great Things He Hath Done