https://torenvalk.top/ Field notes on kestrels and bird photography from the Netherlands. en-gb Fri, 09 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://torenvalk.top/assets/og-preview.png https://torenvalk.top/ https://torenvalk.top/blog/urban-kestrels-rotterdam.html https://torenvalk.top/blog/urban-kestrels-rotterdam.html Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:00:00 +0200 The breeding pair on the old grain elevator has been there every spring since 2023. This year they raised five chicks — the most I've counted from that nest box. https://torenvalk.top/blog/sigma-150-600-field-notes.html https://torenvalk.top/blog/sigma-150-600-field-notes.html Wed, 11 Feb 2026 08:00:00 +0100 I bought this lens specifically for hovering kestrels over open fields. Nine months of real use — autofocus, optical quality, and practical field notes. https://torenvalk.top/blog/flevoland-winter-2025.html https://torenvalk.top/blog/flevoland-winter-2025.html Mon, 29 Dec 2025 08:00:00 +0100 Kestrels need voles, and Flevoland's agricultural polder is reliably good in winter when the fields are bare. Notes from a cold three-day trip. https://torenvalk.top/blog/nest-box-season-2025.html https://torenvalk.top/blog/nest-box-season-2025.html Mon, 14 Jul 2025 08:00:00 +0200 Four nest boxes monitored this season. Two successful broods, one abandoned, one occupied by stock doves. Notes on box placement and what I'd change.