Just last Saturday I received a beautiful adult male kestrel after he was rescued from the middle of the highway near the Chief Joseph turnoff on the Belfry Hiway. He had apparently been hit by a car while dining as a mouse body was near him. Thanks to a very caring person he was picked up and I was called.
CHIEF suffered no serious injuries which is amazaing as he only weighs a bit under 3.5 ounces, compared to the many thousand pounds of a vehicle. I believe he had a bit of a sore wing and probably a headache but is doing so well and flying so strong that he will be released this weekend near where he was found so he can rejoin his mate.
As you can see in this photo, his coloration is a very vivid orange, the look an adult male kestrel takes on during breeding season. That is over, the baby falcons have probably already fledged, but it takes a while for it to fade.
NOTE: He blasted out of the crate and instead of heading for the nearby trees he went up and let me see just how strong he is. He flew and soared in circles above me for a few minutes then as if deciding I'd seen enough, headed west over the hill.
No comments:
Post a Comment