Continuing with the Bosque del Apache saga, on our first day in the refuge, when driving along a road that connects the two (North and South) Loop Roads, I saw a movement off the road about 40-50 feet from us.  I stopped and saw a female American Kestrel on a tree branch… and she was located below our eye level!

I want to say that I have found these birds extremely difficult to photograph in Skagit County.  When I find them they are almost always on a power line or pole and they are extremely sensitive to approaching vehicles, especially if the vehicle shows any sign of slowing down or stopping.  Consequently, although I do have some decent photos of kestrels, they are always posed on the aforementioned power lines or poles.

So it was especially gratifying to be able to get so close to a kestrel in a natural setting.  I took all of the photos I wanted before driving on down the road.

Female American Kestrel

Female American Kestrel

Female American Kestrel

This female was apparently in the same general area for all three of our birding days at the Bosque, and on our final day of the trip we were rewarded with photo opportunities of at least three kestrels on the same short stretch of road, including a male.  So here are some photos of the American kestrel photographed in the Bosque del Apache NWR south of Socorro, NM.

Male American Kestrel