BC Fairgrounds 2/12--American Kestrel

Usually, almost a month and a half into the year, I'll have seen a kestrel, even if it is just quick look at one perched on a wire on Colliers Mills Road while I'm driving between spots in New Egypt. But that hasn't happened this year. To rectify this lacuna on the year list, I made a few of stops in Burlco after spending 5+ hours birding Whitesbog with Jim & Matt, where, of course, no kestrels were present (though two Sharp-shinned Hawks, one of them just at dawn, were cool).  

I drove over to the Pemberton MUA grounds, where I've seen kestrels in the past and where they've been fairly regular of late, according to Jim. Of course, not there. Then I drove around the other side to the Early Learning Center, kind of hoping for Sandhill Cranes, but at least a kestrel hunting the fields or on a utility pole. No. 

Big Sigh. I drove up the BC Fairgrounds. There's at least one kestrel box at the fairgrounds. They like to hang out on the mysterious antenna in the middle of the field. They perch atop the lamp poles. No, no, & no. I walked the length of the parking twice without seeing one. I didn't even care if I saw the Rough-legged Hawk, which I didn't, though I felt bad for the birder with the Massachusetts plates who'd come to look for it. Finally, as I was leaning against my car, catching up with the Thick-billed Murre sightings at Barnegat Light (80 listings today and counting), a couple I'd spoken to earlier drove over toward me and honked the horn. As they were driving out, they'd seen an American Kestrel in the tree over its box and had watched it fly back toward me. It was sitting, obscured by branches, in a bare sweetgum tree over the pond. With my scope I could barely make it out. "Ah," says I to myself, "the Year of Lousy Looks continues relentlessly." But after a while the bird flew out of the tree, giving me at least enough of look to determine that it was a female. It perched at the back of the field on a slanted pole. The photos aren't much to look at. Had I truly given up on seeing the bird? Perhaps not totally, as I thought there was a chance I'd see one driving out, but essentially yes, at least enough for the Second Law of Birding to take effect.