Driving into Bear Island Wildlife Management Area I saw several American Kestrals on the electric line. This one stayed put long enough for me to get an image. The usual routine with these raptors is for them to shift down the wire seconds before you get them in focus.

About an hour later, driving out of the refuge I spotted another one who obligingly flew into a fairly close tree. Unfortunately I didn’t realize there was a twig across his face until later but had taken a few images after he shifted a bit further from me. It’s not a sharp image but you get an idea of how petite they are as North America’s littlest falcon, per TheCornellLab’s All About Birds.

February 29. 2020