Kestrel in Hyde Park

I’m back in the UK after a trip to Italy looking for Little Owls. We didn’t see them apart from a brief comedy silhouette at sunset on the final day. I’m in Hyde Park with my son. He’s researched Little Owls here and has managed to identify two Little Owls’ nests on his daily run. We can see the holes in the Oak and Lime trees, but no Little Owls are to be seen. As we chat a Kestrel appears close by.

Here’s a Kestrel sketch from my childhood nature notebooks from over 40 years ago:

It appears to be the most inept hunter I have ever seen, lounging on a tree and crashing down onto the grass at imaginary mice. Surely it must be a juvenile with those skills?

I feel sure an adult wouldn’t usually allow me to get so close. It’s delightful to watch.