Backyard Zoology · 30 June 2019
2019-06-30T10:54:08+10:00
https://www.facebook.com/backyardzoology/posts/pfbid0aiWXhSRqYEXivh2RPZwJtPvNJGQ3hwXSG4RyfVnpjJYvpmpFsTvSARHKHUSpAXztl

So, this is the Nankeen Kestrel that decided to, quite literally, throw itself at my feet yesterday. I don't know about you but birds don't regularly do that kind of thing and even though my eyes were focused through the lens and trying to squeeze some detail out of the two massive hulk of bodies hurtling up out of the water and back down simultaneously, kilometres out to sea (I failed) there was no denying that something very cool was happening on the ground very close by.

I pulled the camera away from my face for a second to see a jumble of russet brown feathers on the grass, hunched over something and as soon as I tried to move into position it was off the ground and back into the sky, directly above us, lizard in its talons. And then half a lizard in its talons 😳😂

This bird then proceeded to hunt around us, sometimes directly over us, sometimes just off to the side and when we were super lucky, would swoop down and then hover directly in front of us, just over the edge of the hillside. Now, being a whale tragic I kept refocusing on the ocean trying to get some half decent shots of the double breaching happening and ran down to another spot to watch as another pod moved in closer. But husband stayed put and as a result got better photos than me. He's currently out walking the dog and his camera? Well, that's currently sitting in a bucket of water because there's not enough room in this house for two photographers 😉. Actually, there's not enough room in this house. 😂

Nankeen Kestrel
Kiama