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Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Image Taken on 16 Dec 2015 at 14:12    Image of day on 22 Jan 2016

This Jackdaw look particularly villainous as it lands head-on to camera with almost perfect symmetry.


Ref: 20160122_d01_20151216_1412_139_fb6 jackdaw landing symmetrically with face to camera(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 16 Dec 2015 at 11:10    Image of day on 22 Jan 2016

Is this Jackdaw directing the traffic?


Ref: 20160122_d01_20151216_1110_128_fb6 jackdaw landing with asymmetric wing positions(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 27 Sep 2024 at 09:12    Image of day on 09 Nov 2024

Jays are far from 'common sightings' but our normal 1 or 2 pics a year is this year replaced by 'several' at various sites.


Ref: 20241109_e60_20240927_0912_032_fb3 jay landing on kitchen bird table(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 17 Sep 2025 at 07:45    Image of day on 31 Oct 2025

'Our' Jay continues to provide selfies.


Ref: 20251031_e60_20250917_0745_021_fb3 jay landing on kitchen perch(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 04 Oct 2022 at 11:40    Image of day on 09 Nov 2022

These two pics taken half a second apart - the Jay probably lands a little too upright, and instead of falling forward did a little jump to gain balance.


Ref: 20221109_d01_20221004_1140_021+022_fb6 jay visit to meadow post taking jump after landing 3+4 of 6 (montage over 400ms))(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 09 Oct 2008 at 09:44    Image of day on 25 Oct 2008

We are normally pleased to see just one jay fleeing from us, but here 3 flew by some 10's of metres away. The one on the left was not quite so well aligned, so we couldn't resist tweaking his position.


Ref: 20081025_dc1_20081009_0944_002 3 jays in flight (web version)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image of day on 21 Oct 2010

We have often wondered what happens when the Kestrel and Sparrowhawk happen along together. Well it turns out to be an extended fight - here are 8 time ordered pairs in a chaotic montage, moving from dark blue sky overhead to pale haze lower down but further away. All these are at the same scale.


Ref: 20101021_df1_20100903_1235-1237_070+106+183+188+220+252+254+255 kestrel & sparrowhawk fighting in flight 8 selected from 68 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 06 Jan 2026 at 12:43    Image of day on 13 Feb 2026

Unusually, we here see the male Kestrel hovering over the fields.


Ref: 20260213_r80_20260106_1243_020 kestrel 1st year male hovering in strong wind (vertical spread montage @6fps)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 20 Sep 2015 at 12:49    Image of day on 21 Nov 2015

After several attempt this Jackdaw finally sees off the Kestrel. We notice the Kestrel's claw lowering in the last 2 frames, but have no idea why.


Ref: 20151121_df3_20150920_1249_195-202 kestrel and jackdaw in flight 1-8 of 8 (close spaced montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 02 Oct 2009 at 10:42    Image of day on 04 Nov 2009

But the TOP view of the blonde bird is much more striking than the bottom.


Ref: 20091104_db1_20091002_1042_162 kestrel blonde female flyover (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 24 Dec 2020 at 10:48    Image of day on 25 Jan 2021

The female Kestrel decides to make a landing on a conifer twig, but for whatever reason has difficulty getting balance after touchdown.


Ref: 20210125_d73_20201224_1048_043+045+046+1029_075 kestrel female bad landing in conifer & flies away 01-04 of 11 (montage leftward)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 24 Dec 2020 at 10:49    Image of day on 25 Jan 2021

She stays only a few seconds before flying back the way that she arrived.


Ref: 20210125_d73_20201224_1049_076-080 kestrel female bad landing in conifer & flies away 05-09 of 11 (accurate montage @ 10fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 27 Feb 2011 at 10:17    Image of day on 31 Mar 2011

An un-forecast sunny morning brought out a number of 'old friends' we hadn't seen for many days. This female Kestrel graced the skies for a minute or two and we have montaged 2 fly-bys. Images were taken about 150mS apart but the featureless sky prevents alignment using real spacing so both are 'artistic interpretations' undoubtedly much more closely spaced than they should be.


Ref: 20110331_df1_20110227_1017_124-127 kestrel female banking in flight at 7fps 1-4 of 4 (arbitrary montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 01 Mar 2024 at 13:17    Image of day on 28 Mar 2024

The female Kestrels are about, but not visiting the Meadow Post in the same numbers as the previous few weeks.


Ref: 20240328_d01_20240301_1317_033_fb6 kestrel female briefly landing on meadow post(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 07 Apr 2020 at 14:50    Image of day on 24 Apr 2020

Surprise of the week for us was watching the local female Kestrel flying around jinking in flight as if trying to catch something. Here is the photo evidence of this Kestrel successfully catching insects (presumably 'bee' sized).
We had expected that the catch would be made in the beak like swifts and swallow. But no - the insect is grabbed in one of the claws before being swung forward to the beak to eat.
Yes this bird really was flying backwards as she kept manoeuvring to grab the evading insect. This is about two thirds of a second of action.


Ref: 20200424_df3_20200407_1450_172-176 kestrel female catches insect in talons in flight & eats it 01-05 of 10 (accurate montage @7fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 07 Apr 2020 at 14:50    Image of day on 24 Apr 2020

A detail from next to bottom of the above montage.


Ref: 20200424_df3_20200407_1450_175 kestrel female catches insect in talons while in flight & eats it 04 of 10 (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 07 Apr 2020 at 14:50    Image of day on 24 Apr 2020

Another detail of the insect held by the tips of the talons


Ref: 20200424_df3_20200407_1450_182 kestrel female catches insect in talons while in flight & eats it 08 of 10 (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 07 Apr 2020 at 14:50    Image of day on 24 Apr 2020

About 1 second from the end of the first montage her prize is swung forward to eat it, all in half a second, too quick for the eye (our eyes at least) to catch.


Ref: 20200424_df3_20200407_1450_181-184 kestrel female catching insect in talons in flight & eats it 07-10 of 10 (accurate montage @7fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 11 Jul 2015 at 09:27    Image of day on 13 Sep 2015

This female Kestrel made a nice circle of the house probably using the heat from the dark slates as a mini-thermal.


Ref: 20150913_df3_20150711_0927_132-192 kestrel female circling (selected) 01+03+06+08+11+17+20 of 20 (impression montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 15 Aug 2019 at 13:51    Image of day on 03 Oct 2019

Here the female Kestrel flies to another hunting hover. We didn't see her drop to the ground before she vanished hundreds of metres away.


Ref: 20191003_df3_20190815_1351_052-054 kestrel female flying between short hovers over harvested crop 1-3 of 3 (close spaced montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

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