Topic: Killer Kestrel Strikes Again!!

[prink13]

Some of you may remember my post earlier in the year about a female or juvenile kestrel killing a dove in my chicken run:

http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,38002.0.html

Well, she's done it again. We were told that it is very rare sight to see a kestrel take such a large bird, but she seems to be quite happy doing it, managed to get some good pics again and she still looks as beautiful!
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[lorna]

Fantastic photos Kathi, as you say a beautiful bird. Shame about the dove.

[ninnyscrops]

Great pictures - but 'tis the wildlife way

[star]

Lovely pics Prink,

Its not very often you see kestrels standing still. Well caught ;)

[springbok]

a rare sight, and such a beauty.

Thank you for sharing them with us :D

[prink13]

We saw her sat there as we went out to do our shopping, and over an hour later, she was still sat in the same spot, but now with only half a dove!!! :o

She was actually there for about 2 and a half hours

Kathi

[aromatic]

 ;D Prink13, the pictures are fabulous!! I have never seen a kestrel so close up... you were highly honoured... (shame about the pigeon though....the reality of wildlife!!) We now have the privilege of watching buzzards soaring in the sky. The buzzards appeared last summer and they seem to be very happy in this area. They also now appear to be successfully breeding. They are fascinating to watch as they glide in the sky on the thermals......

[DenBee]

Brilliant photos.

We have kites in the Derwent valley next to where we live.  One day last year we noticed the remains of a pigeon in our garden.  We thought a cat had got it, but our neighbour told us she had spotted a kite over our garden.  I do wish I'd seen it.

One amusing part of it was when I went into work and told our receptionist the pigeon had been killed by a kite.  "Oh dear", she asked, "did it get caught up in the strings?"  ;D

[prink13]

Thanks for the praise of the photos, wasn't difficult as she just sat there until we got to about 5 feet away!

DenBee-I love your story about the kite - lol  ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

Kites wouldn't normally kill pigeons either, but after seing a kestrel which kills doves, who's to say?

[redimp]

Kites don't have very strong legs as they are scavengers (so don't need strong gripping legs and feet) so they cannot really kill anything unless it too is very small.  The Kite probably happened upon and already dead pigeon.

[DenBee]

Or maybe it strangled it with the strings?  ;D

I'm not going to argue with anyone about this one - I wasn't there.  Honest guv.  ;)

[Baccy Man]

There are loads of kites round here & their diet is mainly roadkill, rodents & baby birds.

[GrannieAnnie]

those are amazing pictures and to think you were so close to the kestrel without it becoming alarmed.

[Paulines7]

Lovely pictures Kathi, at least it's keeping the numbers down of those cooing doves and not going for the small songbirds.   

We are overrun with doves here and they wake me up every morning as they sit on the tiles making their awful cooing sounds.  I will have to get myself a kestrel, I think.

 ;D ;D