American Kestrel the Smallest Falcon in North America

 If you spend much time in agricultural areas, you may have noticed a small hawk-looking bird hovering over the corn stubble or harvested hay fields. If so, you might have seen an American Kestrel, sometimes called a sparrow hawk.

The bird shown above and below was capturing large flying insects for hungry nestlings...

Insects, small rodents and birds are the most common items in the kestrel's diet. They can often be seen perched on power lines or tree limbs watching for prey...

I recently spotted a kestrel on a fence post near home...

By zooming to 600mm I was able to get a better look...

This bird had just caught a small rodent...

When it finished eating the first victim it began looking for another...

It was not long before another was spotted...

and the chase was on again...

After seizing its victim, the kestrel departed for parts unknown...

Thanks for visiting, be well and come back soon...

What's In Your Backyard? Trail Camera Results

 No matter where you live, you might be surprised at the activity just outside your door when the sun goes down. Place a few inexpensive trail cameras around your yard and find out...

We live in a small development where our property is bordered on two sides by farmland. It is an ideal location to monitor wildlife activity...

With the start of the whitetail deer rut I expected more bucks to be traveling in search of does. I was not disappointed...

 

Sometimes the activity is unexpected...

Until the reason becomes known...

Thankfully, our neighbors are good about keeping their animals under control. But even the normally well-behaved dogs make a break on occasion...

What is more concerning to me is the number of cats prowling about...

It is well known that that cats, both domestic and feral, kill millions of songbirds every year. Natural predators pose a threat to birds as well...

We have at least two red foxes that are regular visitors...

One myth that trail cameras help dispel is that if coyotes live nearby, they will kill every cat and dog in the area...

Deer hunters often blame coyotes for their lack of hunting success. We have plenty of coyotes and way too many deer for their own good...

Other regular visitors are opossums...

Groundhogs...

Yes, they often climb trees...

Wild turkeys use our trail and piney woods...

The cameras have captured hawks and owls...

Even the occasional mink...

The most unusual visitor of all was a Vietnamese Pot-Bellied Pig...

Thanks for visiting, be well, and come back soon.