Kestrel

I once saw a Kestrel, and I'm sure it was a single bird, kill and eat over a dozen mice in a single morning.  I was rotevating kale stalks in preparation for ploughing.  There must have been a lot of mice living in the kale and as the tractor and implement passed over their nests they ran for cover.  But there was a Kestrel following proceedings and I saw it kill over a dozen mice in front of me and eat them before resuming the hunt.  Even though I saw this I still find it hard to believe a single bird could eat that many mice in so short a time.
I also remember having to stop my tractor and beet harvester very quickly to avoid running over the top of a kestrel that had dropped on a mouse less than six feet in front of the moving tractor.  This bird had been following me all of one winters day waiting for the chance of a meal and it was late in the day with the light fading fast when its only chance came.  It must have either had great faith in my ability and willingness to stop quickly or have been starving to drop so close to a moving tractor.  I waited until the bird lifted off before starting the  tractor to continue lifting beet.  The bird was on the ground for some time and didn't seem to be carrying anything when it flew so I suspect that its hunger was such that it ate the mouse on the ground.
I do enjoy my glimpses into the lives of the local birds and animals and over the years I have seen many other interesting things which I will mention as I continue to write.