Kites and Kestrels

[khiemtran]

On my lunch break today, I saw not one, but two Nankeen kestrels.




These appear to both be juveniles, judging by the amount of streaking on their breasts.



They seem to have build a rudimentary roost on one of the buildings near my lab.



The kestrel is a gorgeous bird in flight.





Yet small enough that a passerby might easily take it for a pigeon...



Looks like this one has "taken" something itself...



After work, another surprise - two black-shouldered kites down at the lagoon.



A close-up of the first kite.



Looks like someone else wants a piece of the action...







You can see the kite's distinctive black shoulders here.



The black-shouldered kites and nankeen kestrels are the only two raptors around here that will hover to hunt. The black-shouldered kites are the larger of the two. In fact, the kestrels are the smallest Australian raptor.



Autofocus was struggling to keep up here. I wonder if I'd get better results learning to use manual...



Finding a good perch atop one of the norfolk island pines on the waterfront. At least I know where to find them next time...

Comments

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

I had no idea birds of prey were so much to be found in an urban setting; I shall have to start looking upwards more than I normally do. (Well, when I'm not walking along with my nose in a book, or cycling with my eye on the traffic, which rules out most of the available time!)

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

You'll probably find you start seeing them everywhere, once you know what to look for. And what to listen for too, because quite often you'll hear them (or other birds reacting to them) before you see them.

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

How should I know what to listen for, then?

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

First you'l have to learn the calls of the local raptors. Since they'll typically be fast birds who roam across largish territories, it follows that their calls are going to be audible at long range too. I'm sure there are websites that will cover the British ones for you. Next, if you start to recognise the alarm calls of the other common birds, you can use them as clues where to look. (Alarm calls are quite easy to learn, because if you're the cause of the alarm, they'll be the first thing you hear.) For example, the other day I heard alarm calls from a flock of seagulls and realised that one of the twenty or so birds wheeling around was actually a kestrel.

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

I've always had a soft spot for raptors; they are gorgeous.

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

There seem to be kestrels everywhere I look at the moment. I think the universe must be trying to tell me something...

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

And what would your interpretations be? :D

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

Well, it might be "Beware of the Kestrel!"...

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I really love the black-shouldered kites: their eyes are so beautiful.

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

They look like they're wearing kohl, don't they? I guess it's to cut out glare when they're looking down, since the kestrels also all seem to have dark tear marks under their eyes.