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Trapped!

nariz

By nariz

7 comments


That is – WE were trapped! In our own room! We didn’t dare open the balcony doors, or make a noise, or move too near a window in case we upset our recovering visitor:


a female Lesser Kestrel.

She must have been chasing something towards our casa and made a wrong manouvre that sent her crashing into our balcony window! It was so pitiful seeing her splayed out helpless but trying to lift her head and she was obviously ‘seeing stars’ for a while.

After several minutes she managed to pull herself into a more dignified pose and seemed to be taking in her surroundings: a green plastic watering can, a pair of blue flip-flops airing after a wash, and a narrow tall shelf unit containing potted plants. Certainly not her idea of interior decoration!

During the following two hours she settled down into a resting position and appeared to sleep for a while, but in her waking moments her yellow eyes missed nothing – even to showing interest in the Hummingbird Hawkmoth visiting the pot of Busy Lizzies nearby, but she decided to allow him to continue with his dinner.

Then she stood up – but one leg was being held up with the talon looking limp. She stayed in this pose for about 30 minutes while Partner and I got on with our lives, but with constant feedback to each other. Then, while I was in the shower and something on TV had caught Partner’s attention – she was gone! We’d been hoping to see the great escape but we both missed it. It was fantastic to be in the position of seeing such a beautiful creature up close and we hope she has no lingering injury of her spectacular crash and recovery – although I think she’ll always be traumatised by green watering cans and blue flip-flops!

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Comments

vf1
Vf1
 

How wonderful you must have felt like you were in Autumn watch or something. I hope the Kestrel recovered and that her talon was just bruised or strained. It might slow her down a little over the next few days.

20 Oct, 2011

 

Oh, poor thing - hope the leg wasn't broken but just battered and bruised. Nice photo considering its taken through glass.

20 Oct, 2011

 

A lovely experience for you seeing such a beautiful bird close up, but not so good for the bird. Glad it made a recovery and hope it doesn`t have any lasting damage.

20 Oct, 2011

 

Beautiful bird, lets hope its leg is only bruised and it makes a complete recovery. Shame to miss its flight but good of you to stay away whilst it was resting....

20 Oct, 2011

 

Thanks for sharing your lovely experience, Nariz. Just fascinating to watch a beautiful bird of prey "up close".

20 Oct, 2011

 

As long as she was fine.

I don't like seeing injured birds, and yes I have seen and heard them crashing in to windows before.

I have called the RSPCA and local Wildlife Hospital on more than one occasion with injured wildlife and had to meet the animal ambulances and RSPCA vans.

The kids seem to knock for me if they see a distressed animals and then I make a judgement call.

20 Oct, 2011

 

Do hope she will be ok.

21 Oct, 2011

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