American Kestrel continued

The painting of an American Kestrel has now reached a stage where the plumage is developed, detail is added but it is important to give a sense of the form of the bird. I am reasonably confident that the painting of the little falcon will ‘work’ but I am already thinking about the cactus plant on which the bird is perched. I chose a cactus because I wanted to include something appropriate to the falcon’s natural habitat. My problem will be finding a reference for said cactus! Not surprisingly they are a bit thin on the ground in North Yorkshire.