I birded the lakefront in Milwaukee early this morning. One of the highlights was a beautiful male American Kestrel at the Lake Express Ferry. It worked from the fences getting grasshoppers and eating them. It was really focused on food, it must know there is winter storm in the forecast. The rest of the lakefront was very quiet, few ducks. Another highlight was the Northern Shrike at the Milwaukee Community Gardens. When I drove into the gardens, there was the shrike on top of some small deciduous trees in the middle of the garden area. Most likely is the same bird that was reported by Jen on Monday. I stopped and took a distant shot of the bird. I watched it hunt and catch a few things and then it left the area. I hung around an hour it never returned. The Northern Shrike image is last. Images were taken on November 19, 2015.
American Kestrel
Binomial name: Falco sparverius
Category: Caracaras and Falcons
Size: 9” long, 22” wing span
Weight: 4.1 oz
Cool facts: I’ve also heard it called a sparrow hawk
Awesome. Nice to see the Kestrel up close and personal. We see them on the high wires all the time. And the Shrike was a bonus, right?
Beautiful photos of beautiful birds. Thanks for sharing!
The Kestrel is one of my favorites and these pictures are great. Very clear shots. Did you use your 400mm lens? They look so close. Fantastic!