Saturday 18 September 2021

A Young Kestrel

Every morning a 10 am My daughter in Law takes me to a clinic on the outskirts of town where I have physio therapy for the treatment of sciatica. This is the second month of treatment and I am beginning to feel a great deal better, which means I can sit  without feeling too much pain, and do a little gardening, all in moderation of course as I don't want to get worse. Well, one morning  as we were making our way to our main gate, I saw a Sparrow Hawk perched on a telegraph cable. I asked  Paula to drive slowly, and then stop. Most of the photos I took were all the same, as he didn't move, however eventually I managed  to capture some different poses. I think this may be a juvenile because of the colour. Other Sparrow Hawks I have seen usually have darker f eathers. 

I have been reliably informed that this young bird is not a male bird, nor a Sparrowhawk,but a young female Kestrel. Many thanks to Richard Pegler and Mike Attward for drawing my attention to this. They know everything about birds, and I am always grateful  for their superior knowledge. Thank you so much.
































29 comments:

carol l mckenna said...

Wow! gorgeous photos of the Sparrow Hawk Xo

Living in the moment,

A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)

sami niilola said...

Wow. Fantastic photos. Have a nice evening.

eileeninmd said...

Hello,

Wonderful captures of the Sparrow Hawk! It is a beauty!
Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a great weekend! PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.

MadSnapper said...

he looks intelligent to me for some reason and also awfully cute doing his Photographer Watching. so glad your getting some relief from the sciatia. been there to in the past

Richard Pegler said...

Hi Sonjia! These are beautiful photos, but I beleive that they are of a female (or possibly juvenile) Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), rather than a Sparrowhawk.

I hope that your physiotherapy continues to give you relief from pain and that you are soon in tiptop form.

Best wishes - stay safe - - - Richard

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

They are so pretty. I'm wondering if it is a smaller hawk. I'll have to research it! Happy weekend!

David M. Gascoigne, said...

Hello Sonjia: I am very happy to hear that the pain of sciatica is getting a little better, and somewhat easier to deal with. Unrestrained it can be very debilitating, but I don't need to tell you that. Great shots of the SparrowHawk. I am not familiar with juvenile plumage on this bird, and since I am travelling I don't have any of my references with me, but I suspect that the mere fact that it is relatively trusting reinforces the supposition that it is a young bird. Older birds have come to know and recognize the consequences of human wrath and are quick to put themselves far from people. Take good care of yourself and keep getting better. With my very best wishes, David

La Biosfera de Lola said...

Hola, me alegra saber que estas mejor. Es un ave preciosa y le hiciste unas fotos geniales. Besos.

Jean said...

Gorgeous photos! There is just something so striking about hawks. Hope you are enjoying your weekend so far.

Mike Attwood said...

Hello Sonjia,
I am inclined to agree with David it is a young kestrel, I would say female and 4 - 5 months old. Excellent photo's. On the subject of sciatica I had a bad bout some years ago, I was on crutches for six weeks. With care it was cured and I havn't suffered since. Take care and good luck.
Mike.

Lea @ Lea's Menagerie said...

Beautiful!

David M. Gascoigne, said...

Richard is right, of course. It is a Kestrel. Why that didn't jump out at me I have no idea!

Jenn Jilks said...

Well done. I hope the physio continues to help. It's wonderful having Paula take you to appointments.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

I young Kestrel...I should have known that too! Great photos! The juveniles can be tricky to ID! Thanks everyone!

Anni said...

Beautiful kestrel images!! I hope your therapy continues to help!!

For sharing your photos today, I thank you for linking at I'd Rather B Birdin'.

Shiju Sugunan said...

What wonderful captures!

My latest post:
https://craniumbolts.blogspot.com/2021/09/birding-with-rohan.html

This N That said...

Great photos as always. Your Kestrel looks very much like our red tails.
Sciatica is not a fun condition. I’ve had it for a long time. It feels really good when I bend over to touch my toes but that’s not a Position that I can maintain for very long. Hope it continues to improve. Happy Sunday

Marit said...

Hello Sonjia,
Your photos are so beautiful! I love to watch themn:)

Breathtaking said...

Shiju, I have already made a comment on your post.

Bob Bushell said...

Hi Sonjia
The juvenile Kestrel are wonderful, with its eyesight it is searching for something to eat. Beautiful images.

NatureFootstep said...

so many great shots of the female Kestrel. She is a beauty. Also good to get the right species when you are not shore. They can be tricky to ID. :)

Nick Morgan said...

Great pictures. I am glad that Richard and Mike were able to identify it! I have real trouble differentiating between Sparrow Hawks and Kestrels for some reason!

Lowcarb team member said...

Hello there,
I am so pleased to read that your physio therapy for the treatment of sciatica is going well.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful series of photographs, I enjoyed them.

Take care of yourself.

All the best Jan

Jeevan said...

Great shots on the Kestrel, and that's nice of your daughter-in-law to slow down the car on your behalf of interest in capturing this bird of prey! I hope she was a good companion taking you to the regular physio. Take care

Debbie said...

how kind of your daughter-in-law to be so patient so you could capture these really beautiful images!! how exciting to find out it is a kestrel!!

i am glad you are feeling better, it is no fun to be in constant pain!!

Nancy Chan said...

She has beautiful feathers. Good to know that you are finding relief through regular physio.

Lasse said...

Oh yes, a young Kestrel it is. Congratulations for the capture of this beautiful bird !

Tom said...

...I enjoyed your butterflies and dragonflies the most, thank you!

Teresa said...

Precioso cernícalo, por aquí hay bastantes. Me alegra de que te encuentres mejor. Besos.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...