[Doug Ridley]

Here's a life size Kestrel or Sparrowhawk after a mouse. Carved from Basswood and painted with acrylics. The grass is made from a brown paper bag. Critiques are welcome.

[Ron Davidson]

I remember catching a kestrel a long time ago. I recall it got trapped in the shop and couldn't get out and I threw a grain sack over it and took it out and turned it loose. If I remember they are a small hawk the size of a large dove and very colorful. Beautiful birds. I am sure your's turned out great Doug.
Ron

[AlArchie]

Looks good, Doug! I've nevewr seen them take anthing off the ground...they are pretty consitantly raiding our bird feeder and picking off the chickadees, sparrows and juncos. All we ever see is a blur and a fluff of feathers left in the air. They usually then settle in on top of the power pole to "munch" their lunch. Something has been predating the blue jays, too, but I haven't seen what. Don't think its the kestrels, though, as the jays here are bigger than the kestrels.

A

[Nancy_G]

I have a critique..................
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I can't see enough of him.

What I can see looks so nice I would like to, please, see some more views. Pretty please?

[Doug Ridley]

Alright Nancy here are some more pics. I'm not a real good photographer but here they are for better or worse.
doug

[Doug Ridley]

Al-- I stopped on the side of the road one day to point one out to my wife. He sat there on the wire and as we watched he flew down on the ground and came up with a mouse. He then proceeded to fly a little way out into a cornfield and lit on a cornstalk on one leg with the other talon clutching the mouse. Then he proceeded to eat his lunch. Wish I had had a camera with me that day. A very interesting sighting.
These are beautiful birds and about the only one I know of that can actually hover (albeit with a slight breeze) similar to a Hummingbird. They often hover to hunt a place where they detected a slight movement in the grass.
Doug

[btree50]

Doug,
A very beautiful representation of the kestrel. I worked as a golf course superintendent for many years and had a nesting pair on the course. The golfers never saw them but I did on a daily basis. Lots of gophers and mice for them to feed on.

[Nancy_G]

Ah, THANK YOU Doug. He's a lovely carving - a lovely bird. That's sure something to be proud of. Extended wings like that must be so difficult to do.
We feed birds in our back yard so also attract insects, rodents and every sort of hawk, falcon and kestrel you can imagine. We have to keep bird books and binoculars upstairs and downstairs.
Anyhow, Doug --- what's you next project?

[Doug Ridley]

These days, Nancy, I mostly carve Cypress knee Santas for the gift shop trade. They sell about as fast as I make them. Birds are hard to sell due to the price although I do sell them once in a while. I can carve a dozen Santas and sell them while I carve one nice bird and watch it sit there for months or sometimes several years before the right person with the money AND desire comes along. I don't know what my next project will be. Later.
Doug

[falconer]

Doug, May I ask who's pattern you used for this Kestrel?

www.sierracreekstudios.com