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Common kestrel in mid-flight, wings spread wide against a pale blue sky.

No. 03 · Animals · Het Vinne, Zoutleeuw · Apr 2026

They saw me first

A cold, grey Friday before Easter. I expected to have Het Vinne to myself. A pair of kestrels let me stay.

Nobody else around

A windy, grey and cold Friday, just before Easter. I thought nobody would be at Het Vinne that day. In the south of the reserve, near an owl’s nest, a pair of kestrels had already spotted me before I saw them. They didn’t fly off. Strange, I thought, until I realised it was breeding season.

An hour of practice

They flew from tree to tree, always staying close, and let me photograph them with ease. I used the time to practise for over an hour: spot metering, shutter speeds, the 1.4x teleconverter. At 800mm and this close, I needed around f/10 to get enough depth of field.

Common kestrel perched on a dead branch against a blue sky
A kestrel perched on a wooden post against a clear blue sky.
Kestrel perched on a dead tree branch against a clear blue sky.
Kestrel falcon in mid-flight, wings spread wide against a pale blue sky.
Kestrel perched on a tree branch, looking to the side
Kestrel perched on a branch against a clear blue sky
Two kestrels perched on a branch, one with wings spread

Story details

Place
Het Vinne, Zoutleeuw
Date
3 Apr 2026
Subject
Common kestrel · Falco tinnunculus
Gear
Nikon Z9 · 800mm + 1.4x
Category
Animals