VIEW POINT

An American kestrel perched on old farm machinery was the subjects that established this interesting composition. The kestle a smallish bird of prey is often found using such a vantage point to spot prey and actually establish the kind of story composition I often try to create. As a wildlife artist painting in a realist style, when one paints a subject within it's natural habitat, you are in fact telling a quite complex story. Everything had to fall into place, the weathered rusting machine, the grasses in both foreground and background, even the track running across the back helped to establish a three dimensional look to the whole work, something I always try to achieve.

ABOUT THE SPECIES

The smallest and most common falcon in North America is the American falcon (Falco sparverius) a widely distributed bird that favor open area's with short ground vegetation and sparse trees. It also frequents meadows, grassland, deserts, parks, farm fields, as well as cities and suburbs. Like most birds of prey the American falcon has exeptional eyesight and is therefore an excellant hunter. Mostly insects and other invertebrates are included within the falcons diet as are small rodents and birds, it will also eat small snakes, lizards and frogs. The male of the species is slightly smaller than the female and the pair will select a tree for nesting and produce a brood of between 4 and 5 eggs. In some US states their population has flucuated, however as mentioned the bird is fairly common.