American Kestrel near home

• Apr 13, 2018

• #1

GAJoe

Senior Member

I put on the camo's and was finally able to get some good shots of the Kestrel. I can say from experience now days it's easier to get pictures of bald eagles than American Kestrel. They're small and camera shy; about like kingfisher. They are in the falcon family; it shows.

 

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• Apr 13, 2018

• #2

C

Cmp1

BANNED

Wow,,,, all I can say,,,, great shots,,,, I've gotta get my T 90 out,,,, I'll post a pic of my old setup,,,, fantastic pictures though, should be published,,,,

 

• Apr 13, 2018

• #3

blood on the ground

Cross threading is better than two lock washers.

Very nice!

 

• Apr 13, 2018

• #4

Miguel Cervantes

Jedi Master

One of my favorite birds, just don't see them much anymore. Great pictures. What cam and lens are you shooting?

 

• Apr 13, 2018

• #5

GAJoe

Senior Member

Thanks!
Canon EOS 7D Mark II • Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM

They're made for each other. 10 FPS and 65 cross type focus points.

 

• Apr 15, 2018

• #6

wvdawg

Moderator

Staff member

Great captures!

 

• Apr 16, 2018

• #7

GAJoe

Senior Member

Thanks

 

• Apr 16, 2018

• #8

cuda67bnl

Senior Member

Good pics. Now try to get pics of the male that is likely nearby too.

 

• Apr 16, 2018

• #9

C

Cmp1

BANNED

GAJoe said:

I put on the camo's and was finally able to get some good shots of the Kestrel. I can say from experience now days it's easier to get pictures of bald eagles than American Kestrel. They're small and camera shy; about like kingfisher. They are in the falcon family; it shows.

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See many Osprey your way? Your setup would be good for them in flight,,,,

 

• Apr 16, 2018

• #10

GAJoe

Senior Member

cuda67bnl said:

Good pics. Now try to get pics of the male that is likely nearby too.

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I'll try if I spot him hanging around.

Looks like you may know Kevin that I met today at the Monastery. He used to go over to Charlie Elliott with his hawks. It was neat learning some about falconry. How you guys help young hawks get better prepared for making it on their own.

 

• Apr 17, 2018

• #11

NCHillbilly

Administrator

Staff member

Nice shots! Don't see nearly as many of those around here as I used to.

 

• Apr 17, 2018

• #12

C

Cmp1

BANNED

We have a lot of Red Tailed hawks here,,,,wonder why they are so common?

 

• Apr 17, 2018

• #13

cuda67bnl

Senior Member

GAJoe said:

Looks like you may know Kevin that I met today at the Monastery.

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Yeah, haven’t talked to him since about ‘05 or ‘06 when he quit flying them.

 

• Apr 17, 2018

• #14

cuda67bnl

Senior Member

Cmp1 said:

We have a lot of Red Tailed hawks here,,,,wonder why they are so common?

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Most common hawk on the continent.

 

• Apr 18, 2018

• #15

GAJoe

Senior Member

cuda67bnl said:

Yeah, haven’t talked to him since about ‘05 or ‘06 when he quit flying them.

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He was workin over seas for the last ten years and got back to the monastery here lately. He has one more trip to do. He's workin on gettin his license again so he can start flyin em again. Really nice guy. You could hear his love for the sport as he talked about it.

 

• Apr 18, 2018

• #16

rip18

Senior Member

Yep, kestrels tend to be spooky.

I saw one perched on a very cool sumac beside the road a week or so ago. I made 3 passes before I could coast to a stop off the road - of course once I had no traffic & could coast in to a stop - it had disappeared -before I even got there!

 

• Apr 18, 2018

• #17

GAJoe

Senior Member

rip18 said:

Yep, kestrels tend to be spooky.

I saw one perched on a very cool sumac beside the road a week or so ago. I made 3 passes before I could coast to a stop off the road - of course once I had no traffic & could coast in to a stop - it had disappeared -before I even got there!

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Know the feeling. I saw a subadult bald eagle on 441 just south of Commerce, GA one day with my camera with me. I coasted to a stop having to go past. Looked out my rear window to see if it was sitting tight. OF COURSE NOT.
It launched and a big redtail flew up to make a challenge. They splayed their wings and bumped. It would have been a great pic if I had been ready and shooting 10FPS.