Bobby.

Day two at the Kirkcudbright Country Fair.   The picture is of Bobby a 10 year old male Kestrel more correctly these days referred to as a Common Kestrel.  Why on earth somebody saw fit to mess around with the English names to try to standardise them round the world.  Scientific names are there to identify which species is being talked about and each country can use their own name for the bird.

Sorry rant over.  Bobby was being flown by Jean-Pierre of  Whizoo falconry.  JP had a slightly different approach to most falconers I have seen and believe me I have watched more than a few.  His display was specifically aimed at explaining the hunting methods of the species and how that showed in their flight patterns.

Bobby's tail feathers are looking a bit bedraggled as this was the afternoon show and he had got rather wet during the morning flight.   The long thin line dropping below him is a radio tracker which most display falconers seem to use these days in case a bird goes AWOL.   There are of course the Jesses as well used to hold the bird once it has landed on the falconers fist.

Other birds in the display were:

Striated Caracara from the Falkland Islands
Black Kite
Peregrine Saker Falcon hybrid
American Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
Russian Steppe Eagle
White Faced Scops Owl