“Anyone for cricket?” (kestrel special)

While England were ripping into the Australian bowlers this afternoon I ventured out to see the local kestrels. Cricket seemed to be on their minds as well. Or to be more precise, on their menu…
Kestrel hovering

Kestrel dropping low

Kestrel with bush cricket

Flying with cricket

Resting with cricket (in right claw)

Snacking on the wing

At one stage I was watching three kestrels hunting in the same part of the valley. The crickets were taking a relative hammering. This young(?) kestrel flew overhead chasing after an adult (with cricket). It caught my attention by its muted call and its distinctive facial markings. I'm not sufficiently familiar with their development to know for certain that this is a young bird, but its demeanour and slightly rounder face (when seen head on) suggests (to me at least) that it is.
Young kestrel

The voles may have thought their luck was in, but luck only takes you so far. This kestrel is carrying a vole.
Kestrel with vole

Kestrel with vole

Back in the garden this evening, things were equally frenetic. The bold vixen passed through (I was pleased to see that her eye is no worse), and three hedgehogs (two adults and a juvenile) were out feeding. The wood mouse also clambered down the peanut feeder.
One of the adult hedgehogs

The little hedgehog
Nature Blog Network
Camera note: the kestrels were all photographed with the EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens. The hedgehogs were photographed with the Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG macro lens.

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This Post Has 11 Comments

  1. gdare

    19 Jul 2009

    I didn`t know crickets are on their menu :left:

  2. SittingFox

    19 Jul 2009

    Three hedgehogs!! :eyes:

    I think I recognise that fence – I've possibly seen it while driving down to the south coast 😉

    It really is remarkable that a kestrel can eat in mid-air without tipping off balance!

  3. Words

    19 Jul 2009

    Darko, I didn't realize it until I saw it on the camera. I still haven't managed to actually see one of these crickets on the ground, but I'll keep looking.

  4. Words

    19 Jul 2009

    Adele, it was good to see the young one. It looked nice and healthy too. The fence is the guide rail for the race track. There are all sorts of warning signs around because they gallop the horses up there in the morning. The kestrels don't seem to mind though.

  5. Flying Red Fox Blog

    23 Jul 2009

    Very cool photos 😀 The aerial one looks like the Kestrel i saw in majorca.

  6. Cynthia23

    23 Jul 2009

    Hahhahaa … great kestrel photos! However, the baby hedgehog is so very sweet! :up:

  7. Words

    23 Jul 2009

    Cynthia, thanks! The kestrels were on form, but I'm pleased about the little hedgehog. 🙂

  8. Words

    23 Jul 2009

    Mark, it does indeed look like the one you saw. Maybe it had gone on its hols the same time as you 😆

  9. Flying Red Fox Blog

    24 Jul 2009

    😆 maybe it did!

  10. annoushkiss

    6 Aug 2009

    Are crickets so huge..? :faint:

  11. Words

    6 Aug 2009

    These ones are. I'd love to get a proper photo of one of them (without the kestrel!)

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