[mou] Kestrel Behavior

[Larson Kelly]

Several days ago I stopped to watch five A. Kestrel that were  
congregated around a livestock holding pen. There where no cattle in  
the small enclosure at the time. The birds perched on the fence posts  
and made short flights out over the pasture. Two of the birds were  
intent on something on the ground in the pen and made what appeared  
to be successful attacks. I watched one of the birds tearing it's  
take apart on top of the fence post but could not ID the meal. After  
they flew away I went to investigate the remains and was surprised to  
find a piece of cow pie and beetle wings. I know that Kestrel diets  
include a fair amount of insect material but I was surprised to find  
them picking it out of dung. Has anyone else observed this behavior?

Kelly Larson
The Bagley Farm -Clearwater
The Bemidji Loft -Beltrami
Minnesota

Eschew Obfuscation!
The middle of Nowhere is Somewhere!