Backyard and Beyond

Starting out from Brooklyn, an amateur naturalist explores our world.

As John Burroughs said, “The place to observe nature is where you are.”

Kestrel Week Preview

The view the other morning. The male American Kestrel arrived first. We heard him before we saw him, as has been typical of the last week, when these little falcons have been in the neighborhood every day. The Starlings followed. But then, quick as a flash, the Starlings disappeared.Yes, it suddenly turned into a two-raptor morning.* This Accipiter is a female Sharp-shinned Hawk. That was my guess, but I wasn’t positive so I called in reinforcements for the ID. And holy Falco-Accipiter Situation, was it a tangle! (Clicking on images will open them for larger views.)

 

*Actually four raptors, counting the Peregrine on St. Michael’s earlier and another Kestrel on the 40th St antenna; but who’s counting?! The census so far suggests two male Kestrels and one female in the area. More details to come during Kestrel Week.

mthew

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3 responses to “Kestrel Week Preview”

  1. Raptor Wednesday | Backyard and Beyond

    […] The little Accipiter, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Accipiter striatus.This was the bird who did not like our male American Kestrel back in the middle of February.But it wasn’t all sortie after […]

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  2. Sharp-shinned Monday | Backyard and Beyond

    […] don’t see these boys often. Here’s a female seen locally in February, 2018. Here’s some more from March of that year. And still […]

    Reply
  3. Requiem For a Street Tree | Backyard and Beyond

    […] Grackles, Rock Pigeons, and European Starlings. A family of Eastern Kingbirds stopped by once. A Sharp-shinned Hawk tried to scare off the resident […]

    Reply

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