Kestrel winter hunting strategy

I see at least one |kestrel most days. What I have noticed is that there hunting strategy is very different in winter from their usual approach. I have not seen one of the birds 'hovering for months. What they tend to do is hunt from a static position, a tree, telegraph pole or even a low post. No doubt this is a way of conserving energy when there is not so much prey around and when the cold will be sapping their strength. They also fly swiftly and quite close to the ground, particularly s dusk approaches rather more akin to the hunting behavior of the sparrow hawk.

On the feeding station in the garden, there were four greenfinches, four redpolls and six goldfinches.