Recently, I saw a report of an aberrant American Kestrel over in Lancaster. I blew it off. I see tons of kestrels on my ride through Amish Country to visit my children who live in Lancaster City.
Last Saturday morning, I took the boys out owling. We saw two Barred Owls, but failed on photos as we accidentally flushed both. When we were in the car warming up, I considered other possibilities. The kestrel popped into my head. A quick search back through my email gave me directions. The kids were just like eh, why not? ...kinda the way I felt.
I'm glad I tried to find it. It was a really cool looking bird! Here's a few of the photos I grabbed. I believe it to be female, but I don't think anyone came up with the proper term for its strange plumage. First, I will post a "normal" kestrel, followed by a bunch of the red-headed individual.
"Normal" American Kestrel
Aberrant American Kestrel
Aberrant American Kestrel
...this is the way kestrels usually act whenever you even glance their way.
Aberrant American Kestrel
In the end, I realized I was taking for granted a cool little falcon. The kids actually thought it was cooler than I had expected. Seeing things through their eyes only heightens my enjoyment. I'm glad we went!