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Nankeen kestrels mating, Callum Brae, ACT, September, 2011.
I was privileged to be able to visit this site regularly in the spring of 2011, and photographically document the entire breeding and rearing process of this pair.
By this day, 21st September, I had learnt enough about their calls and habits to anticipate this event. The female would fly to a suitable branch and then call the male. He would fly over and land on her back.
They produced three chicks, one of which was weak and did not survive more than a couple of days after leaving the nest.
The diet consisted mainly of spiders (brought by Mum) and mice (brought by Dad).
I openly admit to blurring the leafy/twiggy background in order to let the viewer fully appreciate the beauty of these magnificent birds.
Winner of Australian Photographic Society's Herbert Medal, 2012 and Canberra Photographic Society's Projected Image of the Year, 2012.