Buzzard

About a week ago, there was a beautiful buzzard, sitting in my neighbours walnut tree.

Normally they never come that close near the houses. This was a special treat that he was so close.

Buzzard again

 Last week, the buzzard landed again in the oak in my garden.

He sat there for a while enjoying and looking, while sitting in the sun.

Buzzard

 Yesterday I saw a buzzard landing in one of my trees.

This is awesome! A real bird of prey!!

Buzzard

 Not so easy to catch his beauty on camera.

Mostly they are already gone before you can grab your camera or a car comes by before you can take your shot. 

Anyway glad I caught one, though not the way I would like. but one buzzard far away is better than no buzzard at all.

Falcon

Enjoying the late sunset on my bike,
I saw this beauty sitting with his prey on a pole in the last sunrays.
Cannot clearly see what he has caught. a mole? Its rather big
I cropped the image severely but still cannot see what he had for dinner.

Kestrels 7

Today I visited the kestrels again.
Some were out...on the flight. the ones at home, waiting for father or mother with mouse
when they saw him coming...a glorious screaming started till he arrived

kestrels 6

And then the 4 of them in the window...

kestrels 5

Later they sat in one accord in the window.
Almost being sychronised, watching, exploring the sky around.

Such a delightful...beautiful amazing birds!
I fell in love with these beauties...

kestrels 4

Today I went again to the kestrels, to see how they were doing.
One of these days I expect them to leave, and I don't want to miss any opportunity.
When I arrived, two of the young birds were sitting on the house.
and later on I saw that they making short flights,
flighing up to a neighbour tree and coming back some 15 minutes later.


seeing them arriving in a kind of clumsy way,
not fully sure how to use the wings and where the exact point of landing finishes.

In between one of the parents brings in a happy mouseburger.

Kestrels 3

Lots of eyes peeking out of the nestbox of the kestrels.
They see everything, every fly or bird passing by.
So vivid alive.
They now are big enough to sit on the edge of the windows.

beautiful sight

Kestrels 2

Today I visited the kestrels again.
I received a phonecall the kestrels were sitting in the windows now...
so great to see again.
I posted myself under the nestpole.
hidden a little under the apple trees.
soon they got used to me,
All were focused on mother or father kestrel when they would come with their lunch.
After a while one of the kestrels started screaming...
he had spotted his parent way earlier then me.

Great sight...so eager to get that mouse!
One of the kestrels inside was the happy lucky one.

Kestrels 1

I went for another look at the kestrels,(torenvalkjes)
From a distance could see them sitting in front of the house.

You can see they have grown well since last week.
Not much fluff-feathers anymore.
the redish-brown feathers are coming through.
They look like real kestrels!

4 Little, little owls

This morning I had an opportunity to come along
and see Little Owls, (Steenuil),(Athene noctua) ringed.
Back in 2007 I had done this too at the same adress.

Now there were 4 beautiful healthy chicks.
Because they live in a dark, birdhouse they had to get used to the bright morninglight.
which they had never seen before.
closing the eyes a bit because of the bright light
4 lovely little little owls.
I love to see them going on the wing.

Baby common kestrels

Today I had an opportunity to come along and see how babykestrels were getting their ring
I had done this some years ago...same place (2007).
The parent kestrel, (Falco tinnunculus) (torenvalk,) sat on the house when we arived, but left when we came closer.
You could clearly see there were lots of babys in the house.
I was told there were 6 eggs.
A huge ladder was placed against the pole and birdhouse



As soon as the big bag came down, containing 6 babykestrels,
you could see, they were all healthy big wellfed babies of 3 weeks old.

They all got a ring, were measured and weighed,



Later on all the fluff on the grass for a familyphoto
....lots of fluff and eyes...
and as soon as possible back to their domain.