I attended a traveling seminar at my favorite local photography store – Midwest Photo Exchange – hosted by Tamron where we in attendance were treated to all sorts of information, got to play around with multiple Tamron lenses and had birds that we could practice photographing from the Ohio Bird Sanctuary. They brought in three “models” for us. Our first model is a lovely little male American kestrel. It is the smallest and most common falcon in North America and about the size of a dove.
Images by T.Dashfield Photography 
Really cute little Kestrel! Looks like it settled down for a good pose after telling all you pesky paparazzi off.
He was rather sedate about the whole thing but kept turning his head away.
Sweet look. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome
A cutie!! Love this shot ❤
Thanks. Tomorrow’s raptor is my fave. So cute!
Wow, such an interesting opportunity. It’s nice to capture a raptor photo without a strong telephoto. They are so majestic. Nothing dove-like about his talons. Nicely done. I can’t wait to see what else was at the event.
BTW – I had close encounters with a bear and a porcupine in the last two days, but not with a camera in hand. So sad.
They are gorgeous creatures with sharp beaks and claws! And where were you wandering that you met those two???
The bear was at a bird feeder at our picture window at 2 AM. Imagine waking to that in your window. I drew the line when he put his paws on the glass. The porcupine was seen on an early AM hike. Cheers!
GASP!!! How did you get it to leave???
I went outside and said “Bad bear, bad bear”. Okay, I turned on the light. 😉
Beautiful. I love the raptors and this one is a beauty.
He was a handsome rascal!
Wow – they look so pensive.
I just wish my vision was close to what theirs is!
STUNNING!!!!
Thank you 🙂
Wow-what a fantastic opportunity! Great shots 🙂
I was pleasantly surprised as I went for the camera seminar and didn’t know we’d have models 🙂
What a great opportunity and such great models! I love that first photo!
Gorgeous, Teri. Raptors are as beautiful as they are deadly and this one posed for you like a pro.
I had to wait in the midst of the other photogs for them in order to get the shots I wanted. I looked for catch lights 🙂
I so love raptors. What a fantastic opportunity for you! And what sweet photos, as a result. I’m often reminded, when we’re meandering through our days around here in NTX with endless vultures coasting the updrafts overhead, that the very elegance of their flight, both in graceful circling and in the magically aerodynamic maneuvers they can do in an eyeblink, makes them supremely beautiful to me, regardless of any aggressive characteristics in the wild—let alone the less-than-cuddly appearance of a vulture up close! Kestrels, on the other hand, are gorgeous in every visible detail, but I still wouldn’t want to tangle with one in the wild. 😉
Even the little cute owl could probably inflict damage.
Wise of you, then, to enjoy him from a slight distance!