Ok, I tried that joke last week, but this time it's appropriate. I was down at the local kestrel site this afternoon, and spent most of the time tracking kestrels. They were highly active, sweeping across the valley in search of prey. But the visit started with an encounter between a crow and a kestrel. I was some way off so these shots are not the best, but they show the different size of the birds quite well.
Crow and kestrel
Those shots were taken within a minute of my arrival. The spat ended with the birds going their separate ways, and it wasn't long before the kestrel was back out hunting.
I tracked back and forth across the valley, trying to get a bit closer. Good exercise for me, though complicated by my attempts to keep the sun to my back. It was about 15 minutes before our paths finally came into alignment.
Kestrel
There were several more shots in flight before he swooped down into the grass and emerged carrying something…
Kestrel with prey
I followed his path, and then saw that he was feeding on the wing. I've seen this before (with a bush cricket as prey), but this time it was something else he had.
In case those are too distant to help, I've cropped to 100%. 
Kestrel with what is probably a common lizard
Assuming the i.d. of the prey is correct, that's a first sighting for me!
Later, I saw a kestrel carrying off more standard fare in the form of a vole. Clearly though they have quite a varied diet (voles, shrews, crickets, lizards!) which is no doubt why they are so successful here.
Kestrel with vole
All of which means I've not had time to talk about the foxes. I did see one on the Downs again today. It was a brief sighting of what may well have been the vixen I saw out stalking rabbits about a week ago. Here she is today. I'll call her the Valley Vixen.
Valley vixen
As for the garden. Over the past couple of days we've seen a squirrel, the wood mouse, the hedgehogs, several bats. No badger sighting, and the cub hasn't been back yet. But the Bold Vixen has reverted to type and has generated an overload of photographic opportunities. Here's just one from this evening.
Camera note: all the shots out on the Downs were taken with the EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens. I used the EF 24-105 F4L IS USM for the Bold Vixen.
Ukwildlife
25 May 2009fantastic pics. The fox is lovely and sharp with a good expression! Im going to have a stab at the cricket ID as being a Great green bush cricket – based purely on the sixze and wing length, a nice find on its own! The other one s is definately a lizard so i guess it would have to be a common, (unless you know of any sand/green lizard colonies nearby!)
Words
25 May 2009Neil, thanks! I would guess 'common' lizard (I'm not aware of other local colonies although that means nothing. I wasn't aware of the common lizard either!). The foxes are great fun. It's odd seeing them out in the fields… I've been scanning the local area for several years without a hint of fox except in semi-urban areas, and yet in the past few weeks they seem to be everywhere. Maybe I'm just more observant. Most of the sightings are a matter of seconds so very easy to miss.
gdare
25 May 2009"and then saw that he was feeding on the wing"
You mean, he ate it while flying? :eyes: I didn`t know it is possible :left:
Words
25 May 2009Yes, eating while flying! I think they think of it like a light snack. :eyes:
gdare
25 May 2009:insane: I don`t think lizzard found it interesting….
mountainlion_wales
25 May 2009🙂 awesome kestrel shots!! but OH NO!!!! i will have to hide that one pic in particular from Neo! the poor lizard has even lost his tail! 🙁
Words
25 May 2009Thanks Jenny! Yes, you'd better cover Neo's eyes if she gets on the computer. Rock star or not, she might be upset.
annoushkiss
27 May 2009Wonderful wildlife scenes :up: Enjoy those kestrel shots with a prey. I believe it's not cruelty in animal world, just a matter of fact, life as it is. So, that's thought provoking series 🙂
Words
27 May 2009Thanks Anna. Definitely one of my more unusual captures.
mountainlion_wales
30 May 2009lol. that's just a bit TOO rock and roll… :p