<3 my third saved baby Kestrel this morning <3

[Debbie]

No pics I'm afraid, but this morning as I was headed outside to feed ponies and tend to our mushroom stand, a fluttering sound drew my attention. Wedged between the glass of the carport and a large dog house, was a trapped juvenile kestrel she/he was only able to flap so far up, and then I think the top of the dog house might have been preventing them from flying up further, or perhaps they were just tiring? They'd slide back down the glass, catch their breath and try again with no success.

I talked to them and carefully made my way over. I've a great respect for a raptor's beak and claws, but I was wearing my hooded sweatshirt and talked to the youngster the whole way. I managed to get my left arm under them, right hand over the head and then I very carefully backtracked. Once I turned around and we had the path clear for the field, I let them go. Whoosh!!!! Off they went across the field to go preen feathers in our trees by the creek

I'm so delighted to help free this one, but also it gives me so much hope and joy as this is clearly a baby from this year. So even though I've only caught glimpses of the hunting female this year, clearly she's found a new mate and they've had a baby this year

[harveydales]

Well done rescuing the baby bird. They are magnificent creatures, aren't they?

[Debbie]

I'm beyond delighted we have kestrels here! When we moved from Missouri, my one pure regret was leaving behind Miss Kestrel Since she was a wild bird, there simply was no way to relocate her with us, but I was gutted to leave her behind.

We lived here for over a year before I caught a glimpse of our first one. I've been told we have peregrine falcons nesting at the next town to the South of us. They've even gone so far as to set aside an endangered species area for the nesting pair.

As the two are so closely coloured, I did wonder if it was a peregrine instead of kestrel, but when I looked up sizes, I definitely was right, absolutely a kestrel. They say a Peregrine is the size of a crow and the one I rescued was indeed the kestrel baby at the size of a mourning dove.

They're so tiny! And cute! Small wonder the Vikings used to pack them along on sea voyages they're lovely pocket hawks

[valerie n scout]

Oh wow that's fantastic X

[dalesnfellfan]

That's wonderful Debbie, we have a lot of both Kestrels and Peregrines round here, they are lovely to watch sitting on posts or hovering then diving for prey.
One day we were sitting in the garden when one flew between the trees right in front of us and plucked a blue tit right off the bird feeder and was gone, not sure which species it was as it was so fast it was a bit of a blurr.

[maggie]

That's fantastic Debbie, good on you for the rescue. We have lots here, I was just watching one hunt over the hayfield yesterday morning. Their other name is Windhover, they are so amazing on the wing.

[colmworthdales]

Andrea - From your description it was a sparrowhawk which took the blue tit. Kestrels hover and then dive straight down for worms or small rodents. I am not certain, but I doubt there are Peregrines in the East Anglian countryside yet - although there have been a pair nesting on Norwich Cathedral (I think it is that one!)

Debbie - very well done on the rescue. Hope the youngster now knows to avoid coming so close to human habitation.

[Debbie]

Colmworthdales ...knock on wood, so far, so good! Although I can hear the little one calling in the evenings when she sees me, she's kept her butt away from the carport we have pine siskins that make a point of being under there, so there's every chance that's what the baby was trying to catch when she got stuck.

Maggie I've never heard them called Windhover, but that's adorable, and very fitting! I loved watching their acrobatics back in Missouri. Out here they have to be stealthy and more straightforward with their hunting. Too much frilly behavior attracts the attention of the red tailed hawk. She'll share, but only as long as the others don't blatantly flaunt they are on her turf