American Kestrels Mating

On April 27, 2023 in Thetford, VT, I was privileged to witness and photograph a pair of American Kestrels mating.  It was the third avian copulation I photographed this spring along with Common Goldeneyes and Wood Ducks. Later I got my fourth mating of the season, a pair of Chipping Sparrows.

The kestrels were at a considerable distance so the photos are cropped quite a bit.  Here is the 14-photo sequence in order.  The duration from the first photo to the last was 4 seconds.