Perhaps it is fitting that I captured this mated pair of falcons this past weekend given today’s holiday. They are setting up the family home in the same spot they had last year. In between hunting and picking up nesting material, they were kind enough to stop and pose for me.

This also provided a great example of the differences between the female of this species (left) and the male (right).

As with most raptors, the female is larger but she also has a very different appearance making it easy to tell the difference. She has brown and white on her chest and two-tone brown wings. The male’s chest is solid buff color with colorful blue / gray wings. Both are beautiful in their own right and I hope to see some little ones in a few months.

Here she comes! A female American kestrel flies overhead, focused on the photographer. A truly fun encounter with this pretty lady.

On my walk Friday through an area open space, I heard her distinctive, high-pitched call. After a brief search, I spotted her high in a tree, presumably calling to her mate. I never did see him but she put on a heck of a show as she flew from tree to tree, constantly calling.

Here, during her move from one perch to another, she had her wings tucked back and made eye contact with me. Awesome!

There has been a pair of kestrels at this open space for a few years now. I have never had any luck finding their nest though.

A random capture from my after work photo outing yesterday. I happened across this handsome fellow sitting on a light pole and while it didn’t want to pose, when it departed it gave me a few nice shots. This one gives a nice look at that beautiful plumage the males of this species are known for.

It’s been a while since I have shared any pics of these vicious little raptors. Going back to March for these pics.

The pair frequents a little open space in my suburb north of Denver, providing some nice captures every now and then. On this morning, the male caught itself a nice little mouse and was busily devouring it. That got the attention of the female who tried to steal it and while she was unsuccessful, she did stop to pose afterwards.

I know the pair has a nest in a tree cavity somewhere in the area but have thus far been unsuccessful in finding it.

Watching these little falcons hunt is always a ton of fun. They will furiously flag their wings and hover over a spot, looking down trying to spot some unsuspecting prey (usually mice or voles). With their target in sight, they then dive at full speed, slamming into their target and nabbing a meal.

Catching that action is very difficult as these guys are quite small and fast. I watched this one working a field and was lucky enough to catch pics of it as it plummeted toward the ground. It was a long shot so this is pretty heavily cropped but a fun bit of action to see.

It has been a while since I played with any of these falcons but finally did so this past weekend. This pretty lady’s mate was not inclined to stick around but she was far more obliging. From her perch on a wire, she gave me some nice poses and after a time, launched into the air giving me an entire sequence of captures; these are the best of the bunch.

American kestrels are North America’s smallest falcon but don’t let their size fool you. They are just as vicious as any raptor, something you get a hint of with that nice look at its talons in the second capture.

I don’t know that there is a prettier raptor than the male American kestrel. The blue / gray on the top of the head and wings with the orange / buff coloring really sets it apart from any other falcon, hawk or eagle.

This handsome dude was patrolling a roadside field this past weekend. Naturally he didn’t get very close so these images are pretty heavily cropped and not the best quality but still make for a few fun images.