Hovering to Hunt

There is a lead-up behaviour story relating to this kestrel that might be of interest to readers in the previous Blog, It relates to a series of events preceding the start of its hunting sequence posted below,

I have been working with this female Kestrel on and off for the last seven years and watched her raise twenty four fledglings,  Yesterday was my first sighting of her since last July last year and she treated me to some really close hovers as she hunted an entire rough grass field for voles over a thirty minute period, Light levels were still low but from behind me and the bird was quite close through much of its hunting period,

She stopped briefly after twenty minutes resting on a favoured boundary wall post then returned to the hunt until she found her prey a few minutes later in a tangled mass of hedgerow,  She then immediately took flight heading towards her roost with the vole classically hanging from one set of talons in what always looks like a casual manner,

I intend to follow this incredible bird throughout its breeding season again this year but any blogs relating to it will with the reasons why be published at a later date.