{"id":23935,"date":"2015-08-22T23:51:42","date_gmt":"2015-08-22T22:51:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.permuted.org.uk\/photography\/?p=23935"},"modified":"2015-08-22T23:51:42","modified_gmt":"2015-08-22T22:51:42","slug":"kestrels-at-sheepcote-valley-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.permuted.org.uk\/photography\/kestrels-at-sheepcote-valley-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Kestrels at Sheepcote Valley"},"content":{"rendered":"

A blazing hot afternoon, and a mini-trek over Sheepcote Valley in search of kestrels. They made it easy. I spotted the first one as I drove in to the empty(!) car park. It was perched on the fence, having hopped over from the road side as I drove in. There’s an odd colour cast on this shot, but I like the business of it all, and it was the first shot of the day.<\/p>\n

\"Kestrel<\/a>
Male kestrel perched on wooden post at the Sheepcote Valley car park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This next one is altogether more conventional…<\/p>\n

\"Kestrel<\/a>
Kestrel in flight under blue sky<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It was out hunting, and between perches picked up a small snack (a speckled bush cricket, I think).<\/p>\n

\"Kestrel<\/a>
Kestrel at with speckled bush cricket<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Kestrel<\/a>
Kestrel eating<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The young male eventually flew off into the distance. A female then appeared, perched along the fencing that runs between the fields and the local golf course.<\/p>\n

\"Female<\/a>
Female kestrel at Sheepcote Valley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Brown<\/a>
Brown on beige<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Note<\/a>
Note the brown head (as opposed to the grey of the male)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Kestrel<\/a>
Kestrel cruising over the golf course at Sheepcote Valley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The heat got to me. I headed back to the car. Andthere he was again. The young male perched on a street lamp.<\/p>\n

\"Kestrel<\/a>
Kestrel perched on street lamp<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Back<\/a>
Back to watching from a handy perch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Camera note: all photos taken with the Canon 7D Mark II and EF 100-400mm f\/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A blazing hot afternoon, and a mini-trek over Sheepcote Valley in search of kestrels. They made it easy. I spotted the first one as I drove in to the empty(!) car park. It was perched on the fence, having hopped over from the road side as I drove in. There’s an odd colour cast on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[990],"tags":[1152],"class_list":["post-23935","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bird-of-prey","tag-kestrel","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t