Mice and voles are important food sources for many raptor species, including hawks, falcons, harriers, and, at times, accipiters. This morning I found vole trails in the shallow snow, a sign of rodent life seeking food while raptors and shrikes perch in trees or on telephone poles and wires. Learning these signs helps you understand birds' lives, so you can find them when you go looking. The photos here show a female kestrel hunting at a roadside ditch.