Roadside Kestrel Karma

Prologue…

At the end of the first full week of October, 2020, I was feeling a little down and definitely was in need of some good karma in my life.  Why was I down?  Several reasons.  First, September and early October ushered in a new season of bird watching and fewer and fewer birds were finding their way to my yard.  I had the occasional bright spot (like the Baltimore Oriole that visited on September 22, 2020) but they were few and far between.  Second, little J.D. Gerth, my newest grandson was still in Neonatal ICU in San Antonio, and was still having problems that have prevented the doctors from letting him go home.  The final reason I was feeling down was an email from one of the volunteers at eBird informing me that I made an identification error on a recent checklist I submitted.  I HATE making identification errors (and I guess I just don’t take criticism very well)!  Turns out the bird I thought was a female  Dickcissel was actually a Lincoln’s Sparrow.  Bottom line was that, on Friday morning, I was in serious need of some good karma. 

The Karma…

I left home a little before 9 a.m. that Friday morning, headed into town to run a few errands.  It has become my custom to always take my binoculars and camera when I go anywhere in the car, and I had them with me.  It has also become my custom to scan roadside fences, powerlines, and trees in an effort to spot birds I may not have met yet.  I was just passing the RV Park on Lakeview Trail when I looked up and saw a couple of birds ahead perched on a power line.  One of them looked larger than normal and I could tell it was not a dove from its basic shape and perching posture.  So I pulled over and grabbed my binoculars, and what I saw took my breath away.  A large bird with a bright rufous/orange chest, blue/gray wings, spotted underside tail feathers, an exquisitely decorated head in orange, black, white, and blue/gray, and raptor-like feet, claws, and beak!  I wasn’t sure what it was, but I was darn sure I had never seen one before.  (Of course, later when I got home, I looked it up and found that it was a male American Kestrel.)  I put down my binoculars and excitedly picked up my camera, turned it on, and began to shoot.

After taking several pictures, I tried to get a little closer but the bird flew, and again perched on a power line about a hundred yards down the road.  I eased my truck forward, and, when I got close enough, took some more shots of the bird.  

Once again, after I had taken a few pictures, the bird flew.  This time, he flew across the road into the field and landed briefly on the ground.  He then flew back to the power line, and I was able to watch and photograph him eating what appeared to be a large grasshopper that he had picked up from the field.  

That was the last I saw of the American Kestrel that day.  Later, as I was preparing my gallery for this website, I noticed on the Range Map (on All About Birds) that it appeared the American Kestrel might be observed year-round.  So the next morning, I decided to walk Lakeview Trail and see if I could see the American Kestrel again.  Sure enough, shortly after making the sharp left-hand turn on Lakeview Trail, I spotted the American Kestrel perched on a wooden cross-arm of the pole just past Jack Berridge’s enclosed compound.  Although I approached very slowly, I was not able to get as close as the day before.  I was able to get a few photos before he flew.  This time, I was able to tell where he landed —  in a tree back behind the RV Park property.  I walked over to Teinert Circle, trying to get a closer shot of him in the tree; however, by the time I got there, he had flown. 

The following morning (Sunday, October 11, 2020), I drove Lakeview Trail at about the same time as I had visited the two prior days (9 a.m.),  and, once again, I saw the American Kestrel perched on the pole.  He was not very cooperative this morning, and, in most of my shots, you could only see his back.  He fled his perch very quickly, and I could not see where he landed. 

That morning, after spotting the male American Kestrel again on Lakeview Trail, I drove Shortcut Road to Highway 78, then completed a loop by driving Wosnig Road to Pioneer Road and back to Highway 78.  While on Pioneer Road, just before I hit Highway 78, I saw and photographed a bird high up on one of the large powerline towers.  I thought it was some kind of hawk, but, after diligent research and some confirming help from a Facebook Bird ID group, I determined the bird was a female American Kestrel.  Here she is…

The loop I drove that morning when I saw the female American Kestrel has become somewhat of a habit, as I entered into my first season of Hawk migration.  As you will see if you keep reading, I was rewarded by seeing my first Peregine Falcon on this same tower!

Well, the “good karma” of being able to watch a male American Kestrel and a female American Kestrel really lifted my spirits.  Liz and David video-called us that Sunday evening (October 11, 2020) from the hospital, and that REALLY lifted my spirits —  J.D. looked so good!  He has continued to gain weight and is turning out to be a good eater.  We are so excited that, someday soon, he will be able to leave the hospital and we will get a chance to hold him and tell him how much we love him!

A Little Bonus…

On Saturday, the day I walked Lakeview Trail to see the American Kestrel, I also saw some other nice birds.  Near the area where I had seen the Kestrel, I  saw a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, several Eastern Bluebirds, and a couple of Loggerhead Strikes.  When I got back home, I saw a nice Red-shouldered Hawk out front….

Another Bonus…

On Monday, October 12, 2020, I drove Lakeview Trail around 9:00 a.m., but failed to see the American Kestral.  I drove into New Braunfels to run some errands, and I spotted a nice Red-shouldered Hawk on FM725 at County Line Road and a Belted Kingfisher on the Common Street Bridge over the Guadalupe River.  The next day, Tuesday, October 13, 2020, I once again drove Lakeview Trail around 9:00 a.m. looking for the American Kestral and, once again, he did not make an appearance.  I am starting to think that, perhaps, he just stopped off for a little rest during a migration…  I will keep checking, just in case.  Tuesday morning, I continued driving down Shortcut Road, to Highway 78, to Wosnig Road, to Pioneer Road, and then back to Highway 78, where I stopped by the post office before heading home.  On Lakeview Trail, I saw several nice Eastern Meadowlarks and, on Pioneer Road, I saw my first Peregrine Falcon.  More Roadside Karma!

A Kestrel Update…

I failed to see the American Kestrel on Lakeview Trail on October 12 and 13, 2020.  On the morning of October 14, 2020, I spotted the Kestrel high up in that tree behind Berridge’s place.  I won’t bore you with another poor photo, but I was able to clearly see it was the Kestrel.  I looked again on the 15th and 16th of October and did not see the bird.  A front came in Thursday night (the 15th) and the next morning (Friday the 16th) it was very windy and much cooler, so I really wasn’t expecting to see the bird.  I will continue to look for him each morning, in an attempt to determine if the Kestrel is a year round bird or just passing through.  I have not seen the Peregrine Falcon again either (on Pioneer Road).  I will keep you posted!

I next saw my little Kestrel sitting on the powerlines on Lakeview Trail on the morning of Sunday, October 18, 2020.  I saw him again on Tuesday, October 20, 2020.  First time I saw him that day, he was sitting on top of the pole near Berridge’s entrance.  Later that morning I saw him high up on his perch in the tree behind Berridge’s place.  I saw him again the next day, Wednesday October 21, 2020, and got a picture of him that shows his tail feathers. 

I saw the American Kestrel twice on the morning of Sunday October 25, 2020– going and coming, on his powerline perch along Lakeview Trail.  Was able to get a pretty good photo as I saw him coming home…

I next saw the Kestrel at his normal powerline perch along Lakeview Trail on the morning of Saturday, November 7, 2020.  The only picture I got was very blurry, but good enough for an identification.  I saw him again two days later Monday, November 9, 2020, once again on his powerline perch.  I was able to get another pretty decent photograph of this delightful little bird.   Over the course of my time watching the American Kestrel, I did some research on eBird.  The neatest thing I found was an Abundance Animation for the bird.  This tool tells you the relative abundance for any species on a week by week/month by month basis for locations in the western hemisphere. According to this tool, the American Kestrel will be most abundant in my area from October until early March.  I am writing this on November 10, 2020, so I should have about four more months of Kestrel watching.   If I get any really good photos, I will post them here!