Date: 8/12/25 12:17 pm From: Diane Yorgason-Quinn via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] American Kestrel
About 35 years ago, a grass field grown for seed was burned (when it was legal to burn) to kill weed seeds, and during the early part of the burn, every fence post around it was occupied by a kestrel waiting to gather up the grasshoppers and other critters escaping from the fire. Possibly 30+ Kestrels. This was near Liberty Lake, WA.
Diane Yorgason-Quinn
Gig Harbor, WA
<Avosetta...>
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From: Tweeters <tweeters-bounces...> on behalf of Hans-Joachim Feddern via Tweeters <tweeters...>
Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2025 11:54 AM
To: Steve Loitz <steveloitz...>
Cc: Tweeters <tweeters...>
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] American Kestrel
That is what I was thinking - maybe grasshoppers or even rodents! The numbers are staggering considering that there seems to be a general decrease in kestrel numbers. It would also indicate a good breeding success this year with abundant food elsewhere.
On Tue, Aug 12, 2025 at 10:16 AM Steve Loitz via Tweeters <tweeters...><mailto:<tweeters...>> wrote:
Kim, did you see signs of a large grasshopper hatch? I have seen a couple AMKE gatherings of a couple dozen near Vantage and on the Columbian Plateau in late summer when there was a large grasshopper hatch.
Steve Loitz
Ellensburg WA
On Mon, Aug 11, 2025 at 9:32 PM Kim Thorburn via Tweeters <tweeters...><mailto:<tweeters...>> wrote:
Hi Tweets,
I'm wondering if anyone has insight about what seemed a very unusual event on July 22, 2025.
I was working a field project on July 28, 2025 with another volunteer for WDFW at the Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area in Lincoln County. In the process we drove an approximately 28-mile transect, mostly through public lands (Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area and BLM Telford Management Area) that comprises decent scablands shrub-steppe habitat. We began noticing American kestrel everywhere. We stopped counting at about 100 birds and probably saw twice that many. I have spent lots of time in this area and don't ever recall such a phenomenon.
Many of the birds seemed to be hatch-year but there were clearly also adults. They were very active-perching, spatting, foraging. Some birds in this area over-winter. My anecdotal observation is that many over-wintering AMKE are adult males. I believe those that migrate only fly short distances. However, it seems early migratory activity, which, according to the literature occurs predominantly in September and tends to be solitary.
Does anyone know if this is a known phenomenon and if so, what is means?
