It was a beautiful morning on Dover cliffs yesterday and I spent some of it with this pair of Kestrels.

I was walking along the clifftop when I heard a Kestrel calling. I looked up in time to snap a few shots as he shot past my head, carrying a Lizard in his talons, and disappeared over the edge of the cliff.

As I walked over to where I'd seen him last the female rose into view, flying in a loop over the cliff before coming to land on the edge of the cliff less than three meters from me.

She was sitting so close my lens couldn't focus and the sun was in my face, as I slowly edged away and around she sat patiently and when I had a bit of distance between us and the sun behind me I sat too.

For a while she watched me cautiously, no doubt listening to my camera shutter snap as I took several pictures, but after a short time she was relaxed enough to begin preening while I sat less than ten meters away.

After about ten minutes, sitting together on the clifftop, she called to her mate, still sitting on the cliffs below, and dove down to take the lizard he offered. The male then sat nearby keeping an eye on the Jackdaws as his mate settled down to eat a little further away.

Once the female had finished her meal both Kestrels disappeared and I continued on my walk along the cliffs.