A tiny kestrel on the hunt

This smallest of falcons was hunting at Fountain Bluff near Liberty, Missouri...it's a sports complex, quiet in winter, and he was perched high on one of the huge outdoor lights.

Kestrels often hunt from these high perches...trees, wires, telephone poles...and yesterday I watched one hover, wings beating madly, before dropping on some hapless critter. 

This one's a male--you can tell by his blue-gray wings.

Kestrel on Elba Island (Italy)

I spent few days in Monte Serra upon the Elba Island looking for bird migration, unfortunately the weather was bad, but some birds of pray were flying catching around our position...
Kestrel where very closed to us....

Seen! Kestrel on the tower of the castle ....

A few days ago around the  Montalbano Mountain (for ornithological surveys) I began to scrutinize steeples, towers and roofs of old farmhouses, and ruins in search of blue rock thrush but I haven't found it; attracted by the white droppings on the walls of a castle's tower, I found a nest of kestrels; it was up there almost hidden by the color of the mimetic plumage, stood out in contrast to the stones, without binoculars I wouldn't have been able to see it .... painted later by some photos I tried to visualize the scene in different angle of view.

Kestrel from my sketchbook

When I arrived in Lanzarote this Kestrel was waiting me near the door of elena's house.
He was told me welcome in that beautifull place...i hope to go back there, soon!