Early Christmas

This Kestrel has been stopping by our yard and perching on branches we've attached to bluebird/swallow boxes on a daily basis for the last couple of weeks.  I spent Wednesday morning at Ridgefield and when I came home it was perched in the sun just begging for a photograph from the camera packed in its bag.  With yesterday and today forecast as dry weather, I set a portable blind up within range of its favorite perches just before lunch yesterday.  After lunch and a nap, I went out to try my luck.  I had just gotten set up and settled into a camp chair when it landed on the perch I'd focused on.  It only happens that way in fairy tales, I know, but it actually did.  The only down side was that the fog had lifted but not burned off, so I had a gray sky bg.  As soon as I post this, I'm going back out and move the blind a bit closer for a session this afternoon.

7DII, Sigma 150-600 C @ 600mm, tripod and ball head, f/13, 1/400, iso 500, aperture priority, pattern metering, +2/3 EV.  Processed in LR5 & CS6.  Cropped from a horizontal to a 7.7 MP 4x5 vertical.  Taken December 24th at 1:40 PM.

Comments and criticisms are always appreciated.

Thanks,