Male Kestrel

Male Kestrel. It is sad but these birds are disappearing from my home patch in Aberdeenshire. Pic. taken with a 1D MK2n 500mm lens and a 1.4 conv. 1/640 sec. F5.6 Iso 400. All comments welcomed.

Great shot, light is prefect. Shame about them disappearing have you though about putting some boxes up?

Very nice photo, great eye contact. They're not doing very well in most parts of the country. They're the raptor I used to see more than any other, now I seem to see red kites more often.

Lovely photo of this bird, beauiful light, sad to hear about their decline, most wildlife is taking a battering these days, nice image john and well done

Smart bird John. Usually difficult to approach. Very nice.

Major.

Very nice indeed John & great light.


Phil.

That light is magic John as is the image. Very nice.

Fran

Hello John.

Excellent shot .

Like the composition and the lighting is beautiful.

The only think I would change to this is to clone out the white bits on the branch in front of the bird.

Love to get some thing like this.

I see a lot of Kestrels in my part of the world but I've never managed a half decent shot of one. I'd love to get one like this. The warm light really makes the image

Hi John
What make you think that this is a male Kestrel? Is is a bird in eclipse? A immature maybe..Please explain.
Nice picture by the way, nice light. I like the branch snaking away...
Best wishes
Frederic

Hi Folks thanks for your nice comments. Liam I have had kestrels in the past nesting in boxes that we put up. There is plenty of sites for them to nest in EG old crows nests it is just the birds are not here anymore. Frederic this is an adult male which is paired up with a female maybe it is the lighting which is altering the colour of the plumage.

Ooohh - that is just so nice

Very nice John. It's all been said, but great colours and eye contact.

Dave

Good stuff.
They're still ok around here.
Cheers
JohnR

Hi Folks thanks for your nice comments. Liam I have had kestrels in the past nesting in boxes that we put up. There is plenty of sites for them to nest in EG old crows nests it is just the birds are not here anymore. Frederic this is an adult male which is paired up with a female maybe it is the lighting which is altering the colour of the plumage.

Hello John
I read what you are saying about the light altering the colours of the bird. But if this was a adult Male kestrel the tale would be grey and not brown as it is clearly show there, so a adult male I don`t think so, a immature maybe because I know that kestrel are very difficult to sex on their first year. I have ring some and even in the hand they are difficult to sex
Anyway this is what I think, it would be nice to have somoene else input about this bird.
Kind regards
Frederic

Frederic, I don't know about the age of the bird, but you can see it has a grey head, which is characteristic of males.

Adam

Whatever the age/sex it is a lovely shot.

David

A beautiful image John. Love the warm light.