American Kestrel at 9:00 AM in my backyard

[Adrienne]

Well, well...

I was just going out in the back to pick up my dog's poop, because I like to keep the area clean and also for the birds, (none found; my dog is not thrilled with the rain), when I felt wings swooping close to my head... too small to be a crow, wings too blue with some red brown colors.  It twirled downward onto itself like a Blue Angel, then up and away. Perhaps, the American Kestrel missed its target beyond my head, a flutter of little birds at the feeders and on the fence. I will never know because they all dissipated in a flash.

Admittedly, I hope the bird of prey missed because my feeders attract a higher number of birds at once.

Until today, I had not noticed any birds of prey in my backyard for a very long time.

Adrienne

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Here info gleaned via AI Google:

Yes, American kestrels eat other birds, including small songbirds: 

• Diet

  American kestrels are carnivorous and eat a variety of small prey, including other birds, insects, and mammals. Their diet varies by season and location, but in the winter they eat mostly birds and mice. 
• Hunting

  American kestrels are sit-and-wait hunters that perch and scan for prey. They are most active during the day, starting to hunt at dawn and continuing until dusk. They swoop down on their prey, seizing it with their feet and delivering a killing bite to the back of the head. 
Other prey
American kestrels also eat insects like grasshoppers, crickets, and butterflies, as well as small mammals like mice, voles, and young squirrels. They may also eat lizards, snakes, toads, and frogs. 

American kestrels are the smallest falcon in North America, with a wingspan of 20 to 24 inches and a weight of 80 to 165 grams. Their scientific name, Falco sparverius, comes from Latin and means "falcon of sparrows".