This is by far my favourite North American raptor and I have photographed them pretty extensively over the years. This fall they completely disappeared from their usual hunting area and at one point I thought they had either had fallen prey to the other raptors in the area, moved to a new territory or passed on. They finally showed themselves once again over the last couple of weeks and they have been actively hunting voles and small birds once again, glad they are back.
?s=eyJpIjo1NDk5MjU3NTUyMCwiZSI6MTc2NjEwOTMzOSwicyI6IjJlZmZkZDlhNTUyOTBjMWJmYzRkZDk3ZGFhM2JlMGVhYWE2YTM3MzYiLCJ2IjoxfQ">American Kestrel by Jose Raposo, on Flickr
?s=eyJpIjo1NDk5MjYzMTMyMCwiZSI6MTc2NjEwOTM2OCwicyI6ImQ1ODY1MDk0MGY3NmRiZWM0OGQ5MjU1NjI3ZDc2NzVhYjRhYTQ3OTgiLCJ2IjoxfQ">American Kestrel by Jose Raposo, on Flickr
?s=eyJpIjo1NDk5Mjk2MTM2MywiZSI6MTc2NjEwOTQxNiwicyI6IjYzNWE1MDU1MzExMmMxOTk2NjBjNmMwZWE3NTMzYzRkNmE3YjM3MzEiLCJ2IjoxfQ">20251218-DSC00103 by Jose Raposo, on Flickr
?s=eyJpIjo1NDk5MTg2ODYyNywiZSI6MTc2NjEwOTQ0MywicyI6IjdhYjExNzE0NWYzMjYzY2EwOGQxNzAyZWMxNjQ1NmM1ZDQ2YTA0ZmQiLCJ2IjoxfQ">20251218-DSC03968 by Jose Raposo, on Flickr
?s=eyJpIjo1NDk5MTQ3MjgzMiwiZSI6MTc2NjEwOTQ3MCwicyI6IjgzNDQ3OThlYzJlMzBhZWI0Y2NjOTRlOWYxMDFmZDZmODViM2NlYzIiLCJ2IjoxfQ">American Kestrel by Jose Raposo, on Flickr
?s=eyJpIjo1NDk5MjUyOTI4NCwiZSI6MTc2NjEwOTU0MiwicyI6ImQ5ODgzNmEwNDQwN2RiYzcyOWE3MTFhM2YxZDg2MmExOGFmMWEzZDYiLCJ2IjoxfQ">20251218-DSC00101 by Jose Raposo, on Flickr
?s=eyJpIjo1NDk4ODk4OTIwMywiZSI6MTc2NjEwOTU3MCwicyI6IjYwYjM2NDQ2MDk1NGQ0ZDRlZTBkOTU5Y2U5YzZiMTdkOTJhMTg0ZTQiLCJ2IjoxfQ">20251216-DSC05630 by Jose Raposo, on Flickr
?s=eyJpIjo1NDk3NTY1OTEzNSwiZSI6MTc2NjEwOTYyNiwicyI6IjExMDRmNDkxNWQ2OGYwM2Y4YWY1YjdmOTI0NDBhOWIyMzViOTkwOGUiLCJ2IjoxfQ">American Kestrel by Jose Raposo, on Flickr
?s=eyJpIjo1NDk5MjU0MzgxNSwiZSI6MTc2NjEwOTY2MiwicyI6IjVhOGRkMjRkOTg5MDAyOTE3ZDUxZjZkYWU2NjM3OGJhZDA4YzhiMDIiLCJ2IjoxfQ">American Kestrel by Jose Raposo, on Flickr
?s=eyJpIjo1MzY1MDIxNzY4MCwiZSI6MTc2NjE0OTUxNywicyI6IjhjZjc4NzRjOGExNzc5ZmY4NTdjNTk4Yzk3YTI1NzUyNzlmOWQwOGMiLCJ2IjoxfQ">American Kestrel by Jose Raposo, on Flickr
?s=eyJpIjo1NDE1MDA0OTg0MywiZSI6MTc2NjE0OTE4MiwicyI6ImFhOGNiMTJkY2Y1MGMyZjg2NjcwMjU0OWEyNzcyMmZmNmQxZmI0MmUiLCJ2IjoxfQ">DSC07862 by Jose Raposo, on Flickr
Thanks everyone for your comments, much appreciated.
Morris, this is a mated pair of Kestrels they raised 5 chick this season, the individual with the tan chest and spots is the male. The female has a streaked chest with barring on the wings and tail. Images 1-7 and 9 are the male, the female is images 8, 10 and 11.
