Friday, January 2, 2009

Kestral Hunting

Walking a path lead me to a Kestral perched at the top of a sapling. I froze and lifted my lens. Of course it flew, but what I didn't expect was for it to rise up and flutter over some unlucky rodent. It was pretty cool to be so close and watch.











She never did snatch her prey, but the show lasted for at least a minute or so, before she selected a new area to hover over.



It was the coolest thing to happen to me so far this year!
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13 comments:

  1. AnonymousJanuary 2, 2009 at 7:58 AM

    Beautiful..
    I always wondered how to shoot birds so clear when they fly..

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  2. Nick SJanuary 2, 2009 at 8:42 AM

    Lovely hovering shots :-) Happy New Year to you !

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  3. TinaJanuary 2, 2009 at 12:02 PM

    Such wonderful birds appear before your lens! These are such great detailed shots..I almost feel like I was there, watching...of course, I wish I kind of was..haven't had the priv of seeing a kestral yet!! Nice post.

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  4. ShelleyJanuary 2, 2009 at 12:15 PM

    Such a magnifient flight you captured! Loved seeing the detail on the wings!

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  5. Ruth's Photo BlogJanuary 2, 2009 at 2:52 PM

    AWESOME!
    Blessings,Ruth

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  6. EveJanuary 2, 2009 at 5:14 PM

    These are great Hannibal!

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  7. The BirdladyJanuary 2, 2009 at 8:30 PM

    And the hits just keep on coming.....

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  8. jalynn01January 2, 2009 at 9:33 PM

    What awesome shots you got!! I love to see Kestrels in flight and hoovering. You caught this one in perfect form. The last shot is my favorite with the wings outstretched.

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  9. RichardJanuary 3, 2009 at 2:42 PM

    Hannibal...I have a picture to show you. Please email me thru my blog.

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  10. Gardener's GardenJanuary 3, 2009 at 4:32 PM

    Thanks so much for sharing this beautiful bird and I'm looking forward to many more in the new year.

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  11. Dawn FineJanuary 4, 2009 at 10:44 AM

    How very exciting..You have some wonderful shot here!
    Happy new year to you!

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  12. EdJanuary 6, 2009 at 10:55 AM

    Nice! The best shots are when they are hovering.

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  13. Gone2theDawgsJanuary 8, 2009 at 2:52 PM

    What a beautiful, elegant bird. I can't imagine how exhilarating that would be in person to catch with my camera!

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