WILD MONTH
1 | KESTREL
On the verge
By September, rough grass can be heaving with small mammals, moving unseen through the thatch of golden stalks at ground level. Some years in Britain, field voles are thought to outnumber humans. This suits kestrels, whose fortunes are tied up with those of the chubby, short-tailed rodents. Voles mean kestrels, and where they are plentiful, the dashing falcons occupy smaller territories. The birds may stay on familiar home turf all year, though others – in particular, juveniles fledged over the summer
