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Birds, Insects & Bats in flight (outdoors) Page 40
Image Taken on 03 Jul 2016
at 15:29 Image of day on 18 Aug 2016
The Kestrel made a sweep over the 11kV power lines in a strong wind.
This is an accurate montage over just under 2 seconds.
Read this action from bottom to top.
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Ref: 20160818_df3_20160703_1529_078-087 kestrel male in flight over power cable 01-10 of 10 (accurate montage @ 6fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 21 May 2014
at 16:05 Image of day on 27 Jul 2014
Over a distant pasture this male Kestrel's hover (top bird)
suddenly became an accelerating drop to the ground. The drop
of the hovering bird was picked up after about half a second. The
drop lasted only about 1.5 seconds. He disappeared into the long grass.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20140727_df2_20140521_1605_546+548-557 kestrel male in hover dropping down to grass 01+3-12 of 12 (accurate montage drop @ 7fps)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 17 Jun 2010
at 13:36 Image of day on 24 Jul 2010
He suddenly stoops, ripping through the air and disappearing straight into the
long grass where we saw nothing & missed his takeoff!
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20100724_df1_20100617_1336_519 kestrel male in stoop (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 28 Sep 2021
at 12:40 Image of day on 07 Nov 2021
What we think is a juvenile male Kestrel spent several second hovering aligned
with the insulators behind, before a series of drops and hovers approaching some
morsel on the ground. Unfortunately the prospective prey was on the 'wrong' side
of the hedge for us to see more.
 hovering by 11kv pole then dropping down progressively 04+08-10 of 12 (impression montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20211107_d73_20210928_1240_025+031 kestrel male juvenile (q) hovering by 11kv pole then dropping down progressively 04+08-10 of 12 (impression montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 02 Dec 2012
at 12:17 Image of day on 02 Jan 2013
Kestrel sightings are unusual at the moment. We sometimes see a
male on the 11kV wires to the North, but it usually goes west
from there. We saw this one make a landing as he worked his way
down the wire.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20130102_df1_20121202_1217_021 kestrel male landing on 11kv wires 06 of 12 (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 18 May 2020
at 14:56 Image of day on 15 Jun 2020
We don't often see the male Kestrel inside our patch, but here he makes a brief appearance on the meadow post.
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Ref: 20200615_d01_20200518_1456_013_fb6 kestrel male landing on meadow post(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 10 Oct 2015
at 16:08 Image of day on 07 Dec 2015
The Kestrel returned to the high voltage cables for another hunt.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20151207_df3_20151010_1608_150+151+153-156 kestrel male landing on wires 1+2+4-7 of 7 (accurate montage last 3 shifted)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 03 Dec 2019
at 11:03 Image of day on 07 Jan 2020
The male Kestrel disappeared from site and we wandered home, only to find him
perched on one of the 11kV cables near our house.
We watched each other for a couple of minutes before he took off.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20200107_df3_20191203_1103_130+1105_132-136 kestrel male takeoff from 11kv cable 1+3-7 of 7 (horizontally stretched montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 27 Oct 2025
at 09:42 Image of day on 18 Dec 2025
As the male Kestrel turns you can now see that the top of the head is indeed light grey.
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Ref: 20251218_r70_20251027_0942_200 kestrel male turning in flight(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 03 Jul 2016
at 15:29 Image of day on 18 Aug 2016
This is another accurate montage of the male Kestrel's flight,
but this time leaving out the even numbered frames to avoid the
image getting too crowded. So just over 2 seconds of flight here.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20160818_df3_20160703_1529_105-117 kestrel male turning in flight against clouds 01-13 of 14 (accurate montage alt frames @ 6fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 04 Oct 2010
at 16:20 Image of day on 30 Nov 2010
Continuing from the previous dive down, we lost her in the grass
but picked her up flying nearly straight at the camera with some
small morsel in her left claw (right as viewed). We have had to
spread the images left to right as they hopelessly overlapped if
montaged in their proper places. The hunt, dive and this takeoff
all taken within the same exciting minute!
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20101130_df1_20101004_1620_088-091 female kestrel takeoff from grass with small prey item in left claw 1-4 of 5 (arbitrary montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 09 Nov 2023
at 13:33 Image of day on 18 Dec 2023
A contracted montage of the Kestrel turning away in flight.
She didn't seem in the slightest bit bothered by the humans stuck on the ground below.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20231218_df3_20231109_1333_011-14 kestrel turning in flight @7fps (accurate montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 13 Aug 2007
at 15:43 Image of day on 09 Sep 2007
Two kestrels in flight together (NOT a montage). Neither is an
adult male, and according to the books juveniles and females are
difficult to tell apart. From the behaviour our guess this is
mother and her offspring.
.jpg)
Ref: 20070909_d01_20070813_1543_052 2 kestrels in flight possibly mother and juvenile(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 28 Apr 2015
at 12:16 Image of day on 21 Jun 2015
"I want your catch!"
Arriving at our South boundary we immediately spotted 2 distant
Kestrels swooping around each other at high speed. The bird
behind was shrieking at the bird in front, who we only later
discovered was carrying a rodent clutched in it's claws pulled
tightly to the bird's body.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20150621_df3_20150428_1216_311 2 kestrels in flight skirmishing for prey one has in claws 14 of 47 (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 28 Apr 2015
at 12:18 Image of day on 21 Jun 2015
The chasing bird eventually gave up the chase, and the other flew
our way which gave us the chance of a image showing the bird and
prey more clearly, even if against the bright sky towards the
sun.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20150621_df3_20150428_1218_371 2 kestrels in flight skirmishing for prey one has in claws 19 of 47 (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 09 Sep 2018
at 12:17 Image of day on 02 Nov 2018
The Red Kite flying into a headwind, flapping rather than a relaxed glide.
.jpg)
Ref: 20181102_df3_20180909_1217_018 kite in flight(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 04 Jan 2026
at 12:27 Image of day on 16 Feb 2026
The Chaffinch (right) is starting to leap into the air to defend his bit
of frosty ground from the landing Dunnock.
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Ref: 20260216_e6a_20260104_1227_037_fb5 landing dunnock threatened by launching chaffinch male(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 26 Dec 2016
at 10:17 Image of day on 03 Feb 2017
A few birds in a flock of about 50 lapwing.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20170203_df3_20161226_1017_012 50 lapwing flock extract (adjusted crop of 6)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 27 Dec 2016
at 12:49 Image of day on 03 Feb 2017
We slogged though the mud around the farm perimeter for a better view, but before they
came into view they flew back past us.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20170203_df3_20161227_1249_338 20 lapwing flock passing tree (crop 2)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 02 Jan 2019
at 08:54 Image of day on 04 Feb 2019
One of the delights of the winter is flocks of Lapwing (also known mainly outside the
UK as a Peewit or Green Plover) sweeping about in the sky changing from dark
birds to flickering white as they sweep back and forth, the change often sweeping
through the flock in a wave as here. These 4 images taken within a few seconds.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20190204_d72_20190102_0854_009-011+015 250 lapwing flock wheeling showing colour change 1-3+6 of 6 (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
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