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Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus (M)
(Double click)
The common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It is also known as the European kestrel, Eurasian kestrel, or Old World kestrel. In Britain, where no other kestrel species occurs, it is generally just called "the kestrel".
This species occurs over a large range. It is widespread in Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as occasionally reaching the east coast of North America.
Kestrels can hover in still air, even indoors in barns. Because they face towards any slight wind when hovering, the common kestrel is called a "windhover" in some areas.
Unusual for falcons, plumage often differs between male and female, although as is usual with monogamous raptors the female is slightly larger than the male. This allows a pair to fill different feeding niches over their home range. Kestrels are bold and have adapted well to human encroachment, nesting in buildings and hunting by major roads. Kestrels do not build their own nests, but use nests built by other species.
Their plumage is mainly light chestnut brown with blackish spots on the upperside and buff with narrow blackish streaks on the underside; the remiges are also blackish. Unlike most raptors, they display sexual colour dimorphism with the male having fewer black spots and streaks, as well as a blue-grey cap and tail. The tail is brown with black bars in females, and has a black tip with a narrow white rim in both sexes. All common kestrels have a prominent black malar stripe like their closest relatives.
The cere, feet, and a narrow ring around the eye are bright yellow; the toenails, bill and iris are dark. Juveniles look like adult females, but the underside streaks are wider; the yellow of their bare parts is paler. Hatchlings are covered in white down feathers, changing to a buff-grey second down coat before they grow their first true plumage.
Data from Britain shows nesting pairs bringing up about 2–3 chicks on average, though this includes a considerable rate of total brood failures; actually, few pairs that do manage to fledge offspring raise less than 3 or 4. Compared to their siblings, first-hatched chicks have greater survival and recruitment probability, thought to be due to the first-hatched chicks obtaining a higher body condition when in the nest. Population cycles of prey, particularly voles, have a considerable influence on breeding success. Most common kestrels die before they reach 2 years of age; mortality up until the first birthday may be as high as 70%. At least females generally breed at one year of age; possibly, some males take a year longer to maturity as they do in related species. The biological lifespan to death from senescence can be 16 years or more, however; one was recorded to have lived almost 24 years.
Population:
UK breeding:
46,000 pairs
It may look like this Killdeer is nesting on a beach somewhere, but you might be surprised that she decided to lay her eggs in the middle of a church parking lot!! In an effort to protect her from the inevitable crush of traffic come Sunday, a chair with a sign on it was placed over her nesting site. She doesn't seem to mind the roof over her head, but it made it a bit challenging to shoot! (Saanichton, BC).
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs, etc. without my permission.
April is the nesting time for many birds,some Birds started to collect the nesting materials and some waiting for later and I found this Common Myna in Dubai near Garhoud area
Image taken at Attenborough Nature Reserve in Nottinghamshire. At the time this image was taken the female Great Crested Grebe was sitting on 5 eggs, just after this two little Humbugs were hatched there is a beautiful image of them altogether to be found on David Smith's Flickr Photostream. I visited yesterday and didn't see the chicks or remaining eggs the parents were both off the nest diving for food, I hope that everything's ok with this family and the chick's and eggs were just in the bottom of the nest will be going back today to check. Update Wed 3rd June 2020 the nest is definitely abandoned when I arrived a Crow was standing on top of the nest so it's empty, only one adult Grebe present looked all round the area no sign of the other one.
Black-crowned night heron with its eggs at the Ocean City Rookery.
No birds were harmed in taking this image. I am way above the nesting area, on a bridge. This rookery offers a rather unique opportunity to be above the birds and peek into the nests.
Not the best quality as I have to photograph from the road a ways off. Hopefully I can get permission from the homeowners to photograph from their property. But in the meantime, they sure are fun to watch! Siskiyou County, California
Rogue Valley - Jackson County - Oregon - USA
Habitat : Open Woodlands
Food : Insects
Nesting : Tree
Behavior : Ground Forager
Conservation : Low Concern
"The quintessential early bird, American Robins are common sights on lawns across North America, where you often see them tugging earthworms out of the ground. Robins are popular birds for their warm orange breast, cheery song, and early appearance at the end of winter. Though they’re familiar town and city birds, American Robins are at home in wilder areas, too, including mountain forests and Alaskan wilderness... An American Robin can produce three successful broods in one year. On average, though, only 40 percent of nests successfully produce young. Only 25 percent of those fledged young survive to November. From that point on, about half of the robins alive in any year will make it to the next. Despite the fact that a lucky robin can live to be 14 years old, the entire population turns over on average every six years."
- Cornell University Lab of Ornithology
Sandhill cranes raise one brood per year. In migratory populations, egg-laying usually begins between early April and late May.
Both members of a breeding pair build the nest using plant material from the surrounding areas.
Nest sites are usually in marshes, bogs, or swales, though cranes will occasionally nest on dry land.
Got out to Gator-land Orlando today, had great time. Lots of herons and egrets nesting and some hatched. There are a lot of try-colored herons hatched up to one month old chicks. Cattle egrets started nesting!
Soon to be Mom...this female Cardinal is ever so busy getting her nest ready for this years young ones arrival.
Pushing on that trigger is like pulling magic into my very soul....Darrell.
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I have never owned a watch and we do not have clocks in our house. Therefore, I had to borrow a timepiece this week for the challenge for the Smile on Saturday group - theme Timepieces
Reddish Egret
The Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) is a medium-sized heron. It is a resident breeder in Central America, The Bahamas, the Caribbean, the Gulf Coast of the United States, and Mexico. There is post-breeding dispersal to well north of the nesting range. In the past, this bird was a victim of the plume trade.
According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, there are only 1,500 to 2,000 nesting pairs of reddish egrets in the United States — and most of these are in Texas. They are classified as "Threatened" in Texas and receive special protection.
Egrets are herons which have white or buff plumage and develop fine plumes (usually milky white) during the breeding season. Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from the herons and have the same build.
For more info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reddish_egret
Cornell Lab of Ornithology: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Reddish_Egret/overview
This was another sign of spring this week. The squirrel had quite the mouthful of nesting material. Happy Fence Friday!
Congratulations to Jacinda Ardern and the New Zealand Labour Party that was a very decisive win. Nice to think some countries can elect leaders with intelligence honesty and empathy. Makes a refreshing change from lazy narcissistic clowns who believe honesty is a sign of weakness
If you like Mute Swans get yourself to Abbotsbury they have rather a lot
Abbotsbury Swannery is the only managed colony of nesting mute swans in the world. It is situated near the village of Abbotsbury in Dorset, England, around the Fleet Lagoon. The Fleet, besides which the swannery sits, is the largest lagoon in Europe, and runs for about 8 miles along the Dorset coast. It is brackish and tidal, but sheltered by Chesil Beach, and is a RAMSAR site of international importance and a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and has been a nature reserve since as early as 1393. The swannery is at its westerly extremity.
The colony can number over 600 swans with around 150 pairs. Written records of the swannery's existence go back to 1393 but it probably existed well before that, and is believed to have been set up by Benedictine monks in the eleventh century.
Today, there are around 600 swans. They are free-flying birds and could choose to nest anywhere, but are obviously attracted by the Fleet Lagoon. Visitors can wander on small paths among the various nests, sometimes experiencing the birds' territorial displays. The swannery is open to the public between March and the end of October,
THANKS FOR YOUR VISITING BUT CAN I ASK YOU NOT TO FAVE AN IMAGE WITHOUT ALSO MAKING A COMMENT. MANY THANKS KEITH.
ANYONE MAKING MULTIPLE FAVES WITHOUT COMMENTS WILL SIMPLY BE BLOCKED
A garden sunbird (cinnyris jugularis) looking for nesting material amongst the trimmed leaves for a palm tree. Photographed in Ban Khlong Sai, Krabi, Thailand.
I just really liked this neat and comfortable looking nest. I was later surprised to find she was brooding nine chicks at the time.
Great Egret brings in a twig for a nest. That's his mate low in the tree waiting for the egret to land, turn and pass the twig.
I have over 100 folders of unprocessed photos from the past 6 years which I’m currently going through, this is one of the photos from that group. Many of these re-visit an already posted subject. I've finished folder 15 and am now on 16 - that has 5 subfolders!!!
Whilst on our last land excursion on Svalbard we came upon a region where little Auks by the thousands were nesting high above in the scree we found a family of six Artic Fox Cubs. Our small group stood quietly watching these beautiful creatures eat and play for over an hour it was an experience I will always treasure.
More images to follow!
Also called fish eagle, sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk.
A very distinctive fish-hawk, formerly classified with other hawks but now placed in a separate family of its own. Along coastlines, lakes, and rivers almost worldwide, the Osprey is often seen flying over the water, hovering, and then plunging feet-first to catch fish in its talons. After a successful strike, the bird rises heavily from the water and flies away, carrying the fish head-forward with its feet. Bald Eagles sometimes chase Ospreys and force them to drop their catch: The Audubon Field Guide to North American Birds
This one was on the Turner River, Big Cypress Preserve in the Everglades