Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Wild Bird Wednesday



Last fall when my friend and I went to Bong, we saw this handsome young male Kestrel.


As we watched him we realized that he had an unusual marking on the back of his head.  He has a white bullseye where it is usually a rufus color.
 

The usual coloring of a male Kestral so you can compare ...

Off he flew to an unsteady branch on top of a tree ...

After his brief balancing act he flew away ...

But then, across the road we saw a large hawk.  He was too far away and my zoom lens wasn't enough to be able to identify him.  But, when I got home, downloaded the pictures and digitally zoomed in on him, I was very surprised to see a male Northern Harrier.  He has the long wings and tail and the signature field mark of the white rump patch.  Whoo Hoo ... I know they are around, but in 10 years of hawk watching, I have only seen one other Northern Harrier.  Very exciting :)

17 comments:

Karen said...

What a regal looking bird, great shots!

Sylvia K said...

What a beautiful, colorful bird and terrific captures as always, Andrea!! One of the fun things about blogging for me has been learning a lot about birds! I love them, but have never been a "watcher", so this has been another plus for me!! Hope you have a great day!!

Kenneth Cole Schneider said...

Beautiful and so colorful little falcon!

i stora drag said...

Such nice pictures you got on this bird which I'm not so familar with!
Greetings Pia

Brian King said...

Love the kestrels! Such colorful and handsome birds! I've only seen one a handful of times. Great shots!

Unknown said...

All are very beautiful!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

TexWisGirl said...

neat catch on the harrier! and very observant on the kestrel. such pretty little things!

EG CameraGirl said...

I'm so jealous! I have been wanting to capture a kestrel with my lens since last spring! I shall =have to be happy with your success, I guess. :))

mick said...

A great series of photos of beautiful birds.

Neil said...

Beautiful colour on the Falcon.

eileeninmd said...

Cool series on the Kestrel! They are beautiful birds, I love their colorings.

Pat said...

Nice captures. The Kestrel is such a beauty.

Stewart M said...

You have got to love "digital ticks"!

I dont have to get up early to get WBW posted - I just use "schedule" - its a great feature for this kind of post.

Oman is on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula - it's east of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia and to the north (across the Gulf of Oman) is Iran. Its an interesting part of the world.

Cheers and thanks for linking to WBW - Stewart M - Melbourne

Kaili Williams said...

Great shot of that kestrel! They are so beautiful.

Wally Jones said...

Very nice images! The Kestrel is a great looking raptor but hard to catch digitally! Good job!

Red Nomad OZ said...

Wonderful detail on the Kestrel - the colours are so rich and vibrant! And congratulations on your new bird!!

Dave said...

two things- firstly congrats on the Northern Harrier, secondly dont you think the American Kestrel is one of the finest looking birds in the world..... unmistakable in its markings and colouration, very very striking

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