Photo: Diane Edwardson, January 7, 11:14 AM. For the third time in three weeks, I encountered a Kestrel. Just like last Saturday, this one swooped down to catch flying bugs, above the meadow, on the Red Car Property. (Click on photos to enlarge.)
Photo: Diane Edwardson, January 6, 2012, 11:15 AM. Like last week, the Kestrel was using the tops of the native California Black Walnut Trees to launch its speedy hunting forays.
Why should you care if these small falcons are in the neighborhood? They are a positive sign of a healthier and biologically diverse environment. In 2010, Dan Cooper, wildlife biologist, told me Kestrels are becoming increasingly rare throughout the corridor between Griffith Park and Elysian Park. Since 2005, when a pair of Kestrels last nested on the 2 Freeway side of Corralitas, I've rarely seen Kestrels. So 3 sightings in 3 weeks is a good sign.
Learn more about Kestrels: Cornell Lab of Ornithology
