Sunday, February 06, 2011

2.6.11 Birdfeeder

The birdfeeder in the back yard attracts a variety of birds at this time of year - dark eyed juncos, cardinals, the occasional chickadee, and a flock of mourning doves. Since the dog died last year, we've had crows and squirrels raiding more often; the cats just don't have quite the same effect.

This visitor was a new one:

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The best I've been able to figure out, it's a kestrel. They eat rodents and small birds - I'm only surprised I've never seen one at the birdfeeder before.

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It stayed for about 20 minutes, and then was gone as suddenly as it arrived.

3 comments:

joan said...

Yes, it is a Kestrel. We had one living in our porch one winter - it was too much bird for my tastes and it did not eat the mole that plagues my front garden.

gayle said...

Does it eat birds as well? It might have been considering the birdfeeder as bait...

Cathy said...

Kestrels do indeed eat birds (sparrow hawk is their common name). They are in the falcon family.

The pair here are getting ready to nest so I hear them chattering as they soar over the birches.