Kestrels Update

There’s a new female American Kestrel in the local mix. This one isn’t banded, has heavy markings, and, most notably, a tail that looks like it went through the wringer. Let’s call her Tangle-tail, a designation that will fall out with molting. I’ve seen her recently in Green-Wood (what would be roughly 6th Ave & 27th St.), on April 17th.

And at 4th Avenue & 35th St on April 20th.

And at 5th Avenue & 40th St., on April 21st.

This may be her perched next to a male on April 19th. I hustled out of the house to get closer, but they were gone by the time I turned the corner. Not sure who this male is, either: looks very slightly marked. I have my kestrel-dar set on finding a nest site.

This heavily spotted but not very russety-in-the-chest male hangs around Sylvan Water and points outside the cemetery. I haven’t observed him with a female.

This female is, I think, the known nesting bird. She’s on furlough from nest duty. A few minutes after she flew in the direction of the nest, the male of that nest appeared.

But before that, she read the Riot Act to a Red-tail.

And when the male appeared, he went straight for another Red-tailed.

This is the nest male, with that very defined and spotless russet bib. I’ve been following him all over the area around the Old Chapel, which he’s perched now, since last breeding season.