A fun encounter with this awesome little falcon yesterday. It proved to be quite tolerant of me although like many of the critters I photograph, it did give me a dirty look. 😉
These guys are a bit bigger than a kestrel, smaller than a prairie falcon. In medieval times, noblewomen falconers including Catherine the Great used them to hunt skylarks and called them “lady hawks.”
I don’t think I have ever photographed one in the warmer months so I was a bit surprised to spot it sitting on a fence. I also was happy for it to be a male, told by its beautiful blue / gray back. The vast majority of ones I have photographed before were females.
