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Image-of-the-Day by Subject
Birds - Kestrel Page 9
Image Taken on 03 Oct 2021
at 13:35 Image of day on 16 Nov 2021
The Kestrel spotted something from the extended hover and makes a controlled
but speedy descent out of sight on the other side of the hedge as usual :-(
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20211116_d72_20211003_1335_142-145 kestrel female flying down after hover @8fps (accurate montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 25 Mar 2022
at 12:03 Image of day on 26 Apr 2022
A few minutes later she decides to fly on, soon to go out of sight.
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Ref: 20220426_df3_20220325_1203_072-078 kestrel female flying from 11kv cable 1-7 of 7 (montage @7fps vertically accurate)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 29 Oct 2021
at 16:47 Image of day on 07 Dec 2021
Twice we have photographed the same female Kestrel flying in this manner
flying from the top of the concrete mains power pole, each time the next target
being the top of the wooden mains power pole some 30m south.
We have also startled her from this post
top a couple of times as well this week, so have to assume she uses this hunting
perch sequence on a regular basis - far more often than we are aware
of.
Although called the 'Windhover', and 'ours' do hover when the wind is right,
experience suggests that they are more 'Postwatchers' in a human built setting.
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Ref: 20211207_df5_20211029_1647_006-009 kestrel female flying from concrete power post to wooden power post 1-4 of 6 (impression montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 07 Aug 2021
at 08:15 Image of day on 17 Sep 2021
We come across the female Kestrel hunting from a conifer at our east hedge.
She finally got bored with us watching her and flew down the hedge and away.
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Ref: 20210917_df3_20210807_0815_012+013 kestrel female flying from conifer outside east hedge 1+2 of 4 (approx montage @7fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 14 Oct 2024
at 16:21 Image of day on 19 Nov 2024
On a hazy afternoon this female Kestrel is, as usual, disturbed from her hunt
by our arrival outside the south hedge. For once pausing a few seconds before flying,
the cameraman could locate the bird and get her in focus ready for her launch.
We have another 1.5 seconds of flight, but it is difficult to follow against the trees.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20241119_d72_20241014_1621_010-016 kestrel female flying from disused telephone pole 4+5+6+8+10 of 21 (montage @ 8fps)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 18 Feb 2015
at 10:48 Image of day on 02 Apr 2015
Finally attacking her target, the female Kestrel never actually
touched down. Here is her upward flight from near the ground into
the nearby Black Poplar tree where she rested for a minute or two
before flying off.
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Ref: 20150402_df2_20150218_1048_121-126 kestrel female flying from failed stoop to land in black poplar 1-6 of 6 (accurate montage @5fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 27 Dec 2020
at 09:29 Image of day on 27 Jan 2021
A short spell of sunshine afforded this moment of the female Kestrel
hunting the grass margin to our south. Here she is determinedly flying down
to whatever she has spotted in the grass.
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Ref: 20210127_d73_20201227_0929_067+070+071 kestrel female flying from perch in conifer 1-3 of 3 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 12 Oct 2020
at 12:14 Image of day on 25 Nov 2020
The female Kestrel flies from her perch on a Black Poplar branch.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20201125_d73_20201012_1214_031-033 kestrel female flying from tip of black poplar branch 2-4 of 4 (vert acc montage @ 10fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 08 Apr 2020
at 16:04 Image of day on 25 Apr 2020
The female kestrel quietly launches from our power pole. She had a busy day around our site.
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Ref: 20200425_d73_20200408_1604_031+032+34 kestrel female flying from top of wooden power pole 2+3+5 of 5 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 07 Apr 2009
at 15:54 Image of day on 03 May 2009
The Beauty and the beastly.
Note the raised Alulae forming part of the 'aerodynamic package' to prevent stalling.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20090503_db1_20090407_1554_376 kestrel female flying in to land on power pole horizontal bar 11 of 15 (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 08 Mar 2020
at 07:05 Image of day on 01 Apr 2020
The female Kestrel decides to fly past us down the East hedge and vanish into
this Leylandii. Accurately montaged at 7 fps but skipping some frames as you can
see from the numbering. The sunrise adds a warm glow.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20200401_df3_20200308_0705_023-032 kestrel female flying into leylandii 01+03+05+07+09+10 of 10 (accurate montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 14 Jul 2011
at 16:52 Image of day on 20 Aug 2011
He flew off to the distant East where another Kestrel joined him
but they never got close and he flew off. The other bird resolved
the puzzle by flying our way and it turned out to be a female -
almost certainly Mum.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20110820_df1_20110714_1652_504 kestrel female flying low over killed pasture near north bridleway hedge (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 19 Oct 2010
at 10:56 Image of day on 16 Dec 2010
One minute later the kestrel above dived on some prey in the
grass and we could see her dispatching something with head and
wings occasionally becoming visible, so we got the camera ready
for the takeoff. This is an accurately positioned montage. The
bird took off into a strong Left to Right Northerly wind which is
why she swings back to the right as she climbs. The head in the
grass and launch are consecutive frames but with a few seconds
between them. The first 4 in flight are alternate frames (about
3.5 fps) to avoid overlap and the rest are about 7 fps.
The enlarged insert shows the beginning of the sequence - if you
are an author or artist interested in other positions we can supply
any of them in full resolution.
 1+2+4+6+8+10-19 of 19 (montage 2)(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20101216_df1_20101019_1056_121-139 kestrel female flying off after kill in grass (prey eaten) 1+2+4+6+8+10-19 of 19 (montage 2)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 16 Feb 2020
at 08:20 Image of day on 11 Mar 2020
The female Kestrel initially flew away over the waterlogged fields.
This 17 frames sequence is accurately montaged at 10 fps, here cut in two to make the
bird images more than specks.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20200311_d73_20200216_0820_323-331 kestrel female flying over waterlogged crop 01-09 of 17 (accurate montage @10fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 16 Feb 2020
at 08:20 Image of day on 10 Mar 2020
We didn't move, but the Kestrel launched out of the mud and started to fly away.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20200310_d73_20200216_0820_311+312 kestrel female flying over waterlogged crop 1+2 of 2 (accurate montage @10fps)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 16 Feb 2020
at 08:20 Image of day on 11 Mar 2020
The female Kestrel initially flew away over the waterlogged fields.
This 17 frames sequence is accurately montaged at 10 fps, here cut in two to make the
bird images more than specks.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20200311_d73_20200216_0820_332-339 kestrel female flying over waterlogged crop 10-17 of 17 (accurate montage @10fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 16 Feb 2020
at 08:20 Image of day on 11 Mar 2020
The last 4 images from the above montage for more satisfying detail of the female Kestrel.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20200311_d73_20200216_0820_336-339 kestrel female flying over waterlogged crop 14-17 of 17 (accurate montage @10fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 17 Sep 2023
at 10:45 Image of day on 06 Nov 2023
Two days later we see the female Kestrel again. She seems to be getting used
to us being 'mostly harmless'.
.jpg)
Ref: 20231106_df3_20230917_1045_357 kestrel female flying overhead(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 31 Mar 2020
at 17:54 Image of day on 16 Apr 2020
The local female Kestrel (the one with a Grey feather in her tail) flies past and
lands on a disused telephone pole for about 6 minutes.
These first images are from 3 different places inside our patch.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20200416_df3_20200331_1754_164+1756_173+1801_183 kestrel female flying to disused telephone pole and staying there before flying off 01+02+04 of 12 (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 31 Mar 2020
at 18:01 Image of day on 16 Apr 2020
Walking round the outside of our south hedge found her still perched on the
pole, avidly scanning the ground for some tasty morsel. She took no notice of
the photographer, but eventually decided to move off back into our patch. This
is an 'impression' of her departure, spaced to maximise the appearance and show
all of the frames.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20200416_df3_20200331_1801_188+190-194 kestrel female flying to disused telephone pole and staying there before flying off 05-10 of 12 (impression montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
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