Raptor Wednesday

A windy day. This female American Kestrel was flying between funeral monuments and occasionally having difficulty with the wind.

What’s to eat? Dragonflies? Didn’t see a one. Lizards? Not out in the open, although I did hear some suggestive rustling. Songbirds? Subdued in the wind.

You just have to work harder this time of year.

Female raptors are on average larger than males: Sibley has 4.1 oz for weigh for American Kestrel; Crossley gives range of 3.4-5.3 oz.

Another day, another place–another pair? Speaking of size comparisons:

Female American Kestrel

Coopers Hawk. I suspect a female; so big that before I got optics on the bird, I thought it would be a Red-tail.