Magic Bird

Here's a male kestrel that apparently has a trick or two up it's sleeve (or wing). It got inside a locked ranch house and then got stuck. When I arrived at the site, it was sitting on the window sill looking longingly outside. Just outside was a female kestrel perched on a power pole. I walked right up to it and without much fuss picked it up and carried it outside. I placed it on my sleeve and it sat there vocalizing and staring at me. So I moved it to my finger and encouraged it to fly.  It sat on my hand for a good 30 seconds before taking flight. It flew right up to the female on the pole, they vocalized at each other and then flew off together over some trees. They both circled back and stayed in the area, perching on the powerlines over the grassy fields. I hope it got to eat something soon, because it looked as if it had been trapped for at least a couple of days. I still can't figure out how it got into a house with all the doors and windows locked.  I hear that they are cavity nesters and will sometimes search out new holes during mating season for potential nest sites.  Well, maybe it found a small hole into the house and couldn't find its way out again.