Winter Kestrel On Visit Near Coast Of The East Neuk Of Fife Scotland

Tour Scotland Winter wildlife camera travel video of a Kestrel by trees on visit near the coast of the East Neuk of Fife. Kestrels are a species of falcon. Despite a significant decline in the 1970s and 1980s, there are still 31,000 pairs of kestrels in the United Kingdom, making it one of our most common birds of prey. However they are less commonly found in Northern Ireland and north west Scotland. Kestrels are largely monogamous, and while a pair will separate over winter, they will come back together at the turn of the year when the male shows the female around potential sites, often in an area where they have nested before. The vast proportion of a kestrel’s diet is made up of field voles, the most common British mammal. It will typically eat 2 or 3 a day. Falcons will also take wood mice and, if they need to, switch to small birds such as meadow pipits and yellowhammers. There are even records of kestrels taking fish, plucking them from the water osprey like. Kestrels have exceptional eyesight, which is key in helping them catch their prey.. Masters of the ambush, at dusk kestrels will often sit patiently waiting for house sparrows to start to roost, before rising up and striking. Kestrels can be spotted in local parks, on the moors and hawking the edge of farmland. But one of the most dramatic places to see it is along the coast. A downside of the seaside habitats for kestrels is the saltwater wetness. Kestrels, like most birds, have trouble metabolising salt. All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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