American Kestrel on the Tuolumne River

If you happen to love American Kestrels (Falco sparverius), the last couple of weeks on the Tuolumne River Parkway Trail have been good times to see them. There are at least three of them hanging out along the trail, including this one, which was perched on an oak at the edge of the bluffs at the top of the stairwell to the river. I had driven up to the trailhead, and literally took these shots from inside the car.

The name "American" Kestrel is about as true as can be: it ranges from the southern tip of South America to Alaska, with nary a sighting anywhere else in the world. They are relatively common, but their numbers have declined because of habitat loss and overuse of pesticides that have caused a sharp drop in some of the insects and small animals that are their prey.