Kestrels, Pt. I

A female American Kestrel perched in a pine on the edge of Green-Wood took off and headed towards the Neo-Gothic gatehouse, stirred up the Monk Parrots, rounded it, and came back towards me and the fence.

She landed on a chimney pot a full block away. And she had prey with her up there.

Gosh, and some Feral Pigeons. Now, it takes about half an hour to eat a House Sparrow, so I walked the avenue-length block to exit the cemetery and almost a full avenue block up a nearby street to get closer to the situation.

By the time I got there, there was a male on the cornice. Female still eating on chimney pot. A cornice is a good place to nest, btw.

Based on previous years observation of American Kestrels in courtship, it’s possible the prey was delivered to the female by the male.

What signals passed between them?

After witnessing several abortive attempts in the last few weeks, I captured them making contact.

Now where is that nest? This building’s cornice, a prime suspect, didn’t seem to have any holes in it, but then I was fighting the morning sun in my eye. (And, uh, the awkwardness of staring intending at an apartment building’s facade while carrying a camera…)