Backyard and Beyond

The male of the #BrooklynKestrels pair is stashing prey in a rotted-out knot in his favorite perching tree. This photo is through the screen, rain, and foliage. But with those two little songbird feet sticking up like an amateur gangland corpse disposal, you get the drift. Have seen a few bodies cached here since discovering this spot a week ago.One day, both the female and the male landed one after the other on a nearby roof. It’s unusual for them to land on something they can’t grip. Some magnification on the scene revealed a bumblebee, no doubt somewhat discombobulated since it looked like the male had the bee in his bill briefly.Except for one rodent, the food list for these falcons has been all birds, as far as I have seen. In season, American Kestrels are said to be great devourers of dragonflies, and other insects, so we shall see what we shall see shortly.One of the birds, couldn’t tell which one, patrol-hovering after a run-in with a crow. The team don’t want any bad-boys around the nest. Crows have been patrolling the neighborhood for miscellaneous nestlings. They come in very low, one or two at a time. The falcons are furious in response against the rather larger corvids.A wet day.A couple interlopers on the perch.Also noted up there, Grackle and Sharp-shinned Hawk.