WILCOCK

One partly associates Kestrels with the grassy verges and central reservations of motorways and major roads where they are seen hovering in search of prey. They are, however, also often seen soaring gloriously and then hovering around cliffs by the sea. Sometimes one can spot a family party which makes a very impressive sight. Nevertheless, most of the images in this section of the website were taken in the countryside where they search pasture land and other territory for voles and small rodents.

Although their prey is mainly small rodents, as mentioned above, I have occasionally seen one catch a small bird but have never had a camera with me at the time and so have not managed to record it.

As raptors go, they are not that large and in consequence are often harassed by other birds, especially Corvids wishing to steal a share of the meal, as shown in some of my pictures. I have included a close up from one of the photographs to show how majestic they are when one looks closely.