This morning we were driving to the parking lot at the Old Coach Staging Area (same place I parked this week when I saw the hawks and crow commute) to start our run. I had put the camera in the trunk just in case.
We saw a bird on a wire that looked a little different. We were able to pull over safely and snap these pics! We zoomed in and to our delight:
We knew it was a Kestrel immediately because Lynn and Dean had shared this beauty with us this week:
Tips from David: You can see these pint-sized predators up close more often than the bigger peregrines; not to be mistaken as young because of their size, the adults are normally small, smaller than a mourning dove.
See more photos of this Kestrel and other birds from Lynn and Dean’s mid-week hike at Sulphur Mountain in Dean’s album. Also seen there: Nuttal’s Woodpecker, Acorn Woodpecker, Bewick’s Wren!
-Blair
The Big Year 2021 