Photo: Sparrowhawk siblings nest near Pacifica Quarry

Kestrel chicks nesting in a tight space near Rockaway Quarry are probably about to fledge, says Tim Brand, who took this picture. In other words, they are about to fly. Tim says one of the sparrowhawk parents brought a mouse to the chicks, who devoured it "as fast as my son Evan went through a muffin from the farmers market." Evan was particularly interested in Tim's find because recently Wildlife Associates visited his school classroom to introduce the kids to some feathered friends. Used with permission of Pacifica Riptide.